There are ten major dams in the upper Willamette Basin and only one of these, Leaburg Dam , has a fish ladder to allow for the passage of salmon. However Leaburg and the other two power producing dams on the McKenzie, Walterville and Carmen-Smith still have negative impacts on the salmon habitat of the McKenzie. The dams on the McKenzie raise the water temperature which may harm the sensitive salmon and other fish. The Dams on the Middle Fork of the Willamette such as Dexter Dam and Lookout Point Dam do not have fish ladders, making the river impassable for the salmon. The native run of salmon has been extinct on this river since the 1950s when the dams were built.
Lane County has four fish hatcheries that raise salmon and steelhead.
These hatcheries are responsible for some increase in the salmon population. However the possibility of hatchery salmon breeding with wild salmon may pose a threat to the wild salmon population. Fish Hatchery 90700 Fish Hatchery Rd. This hatchery raises rainbow and cutthroat trout and steelhead. Earthen show ponds with Japanese garden type landscaping offer year round viewing of adult sturgeon and trout.