SFR Fish Electrocuted in Lake Washington

Sorta fishing-related

"...invasive species... and a "small number" of salmon"
Unspecified species and number = Spin?

Salmon in Lake Washington during August are likely returning adult fish rather than smolts. Either is bad.

This is a 1500 VDC power distribution system for a $712M light rail project over a bridge, floating on a waterway used by migrating ESA listed fish.

The anodes for the (24VDC? - "Impressed Current) Cathodic Protection (ICCP)" system reportedly "rested on the lakebed." After the dead fish were discovered the anodes were raised up from the lakebed.

Several search results for variations of: "how would fish and swimmers be affected by anodes resting on the lakebed from a transit bridge floating on a lake for an impressed current cathodic protection system of a 1500vdc transit line" turns up some deadly serious issues if there is a system design (Low Vt anode proximity, High Vt isolation) fault or other failure. 🤯

And there is not much difference in the potential hazards between "resting on the lakebed" or "suspended".

I wonder how this was addressed and what testing was specified in the EIS?
 
Brian said:

"...invasive species... and a "small number" of salmon"
Unspecified species and number = Spin?

Salmon in Lake Washington during August are likely returning adult fish rather than smolts. Either is bad.

This is a 1500 VDC power distribution system for a $712M light rail project over a bridge, floating on a waterway used by migrating ESA listed fish.

The anodes for the (24VDC? - "Impressed Current) Cathodic Protection (ICCP)" system reportedly "rested on the lakebed." After the dead fish were discovered the anodes were raised up from the lakebed.

Several search results for variations of: "how would fish and swimmers be affected by anodes resting on the lakebed from a transit bridge floating on a lake for an impressed current cathodic protection system of a 1500vdc transit line" turns up some deadly serious issues if there is a system design (Low Vt anode proximity, High Vt isolation) fault or other failure. 🤯

And there is not much difference in the potential hazards between "resting on the lakebed" or "suspended".

I wonder how this was addressed and what testing was specified in the EIS?
Click to expand...

Starting to have doubts .

The local political pressure involved in getting that project done alone had to be enormous. They just had to be "The First".

We all know the financial cost was staggering. Invariably, there had to be mistakes.

That out of the way, I often wondered how they were grounding all that current crossing those rails. I'd imagined they'd daisy chain from section to section and bury a large ground cable at each end. Dangling anodes to the lake bed doesn't seem like smart engineering, though.
 
wanderingrichard said:
The local political pressure involved in getting that project done alone had to be enormous....
Click to expand...
A link to this article popped up in my search results. Apparently Sound Transit (& WADOT) had doubts back in December 2025
www.thecentersquare.com

WATCH: WSDOT concedes stray current risks on I-90 from cross-lake light rail

(The Center Square) - The latest status report from Sound Transit raises some major concerns about whether passenger rail service will be ready to safely operate across the I-90 floating
www.thecentersquare.com www.thecentersquare.com
RCF said:
Any one want to go scuba diving there and check it out?
Click to expand...
Nothing was said about the diver who discovered and reported the dead fish, and if there were any sort of physical barriers or posted warnings about a voltage hazard in the water encountered.

Search results said the anode strings are near the ends of the bridges where water depth is about 50 feet, and were possibly longer, extending to deeper water.

The fish were likely seen on the lakebed near the anodes. Sounds like the diver was very lucky.
 
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