fish ladder

noun

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

fish ladder

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of fish ladder¹

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Example Sentences

The body of a man who reportedly slipped and fell into the Stillaguamish River at the Granite Falls fish ladder last month was recovered on Saturday, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.

From Seattle Times

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office continued looking on Monday for the body of a man who reportedly slipped and fell into the water at the Granite Falls fish ladder.

From Seattle Times

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

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

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