fish ladder

American  

noun

1. a series of ascending pools constructed to enable salmon or other fish to swim upstream around or over a dam.

---

fish ladder British  

noun

1. a row of ascending pools or weirs connected by short falls to allow fish to pass barrages or dams

---

Etymology

Origin of fish ladder

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Example Sentences

To the south, near Commodore Park, between June and October, the underwater fish ladder lets guests peer through panels of glass to watch migrating salmon pass through.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 28, 2024

The coho salmon has already conquered the Ballard Locks fish ladder, swum 17 miles through urban Seattle waterways and powered through a tunnel under nine lanes of Interstate 405.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 10, 2024

Often adult Chinook salmon looking to spawn will cycle through the fish ladder multiple times or wait upstream for weeks, losing energy and risking attacks from predators, she said.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 18, 2024

The windows at the fish ladder at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks are shimmering with fish.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 18, 2023

Through a wall of windows, watch native fish swim upstream through the emerald waters of the dam’s fish ladder on their journey to spawn.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 10, 2022