Per Saxvik is a professional engineer (retired), born in Oslo, Norway in 1925, and educated in Norway and Sweden before coming to Canada in 1954. He joined the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission (IPSFC) in March 1955 as a civil engineer. The engineering work with IPSFC included investigation, planning, design and construction of fishways at Yale Rapids & Hell’s Gate, conceptual design of fishways at Horsefly River Falls and Thompson River Rapids, design of spawning channels & related intake systems at Seton River & Nadina River, hydraulic intake structures at Weaver Creek & Gates River Spawning Channels and other fisheries enhancement projects. He was IPSFC’s last Chief Engineer when the Governments of Canada and USA dissolved the Commission on December 31, 1985. Major fish protection studies by Per Saxvik while with IPSFC & DFO, period 1955-1990: Chilko/Homatko Power Proposal McGregor Power Proposal Nechako/Kemano I Power Proposal Nechako/Kemano II Power Proposal Nechako/Kemano Completion Power Proposal Design of a computerized model for predicting estimated water temperatures in the Nechako river system between the Nechako River and Prince George. The model used input of measurements of actual river cross-section data, stream velocity measurements, estimated long range weather conditions including solar radiation and other parameters. Inflow from the Stellako and Stuart River systems were evaluated in equations. The model estimated water temperatures on an hourly basis down river based on physical river conditions as the water was flowing and was influenced by the predicted hourly weather conditions down river. This water temperature prediction model was utilized in the 1970’s and 1980’s by DFO to advise Alcan about the amount of water to be released from the Nechako Reservoir for protection of the sockeye salmon in the Nechako River and the Fraser River downstream of Prince George. Shuswap River Diversion Proposal (not built) Dredging and Gravel Removal, Fraser & Thompson River System Water Temperature Prediction Models Downstream of Diversions Logging Proposals, Nadina & Stuart River System Fish Passage, Fraser River, Thompson River & Tributary Streams Flood Lights in Rivers to Aid Fish Migration at Difficult Areas at Night Per Saxvik (and IPSFC engineering staff) was transferred to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Vancouver, BC as Senior Project Engineer in January 1986, with responsibility for fish passage in the Fraser River Canyon. Prior to retirement from DFO in February, 1991, the work included planning and design and construction of by-pass channels in the Fraser River at Saddle Rock (1988) and Little Hell’s Gate (1989) and a low-level vertical slot fishway at Hell’s Gate (1989). As a private consultant in fisheries & environmental engineering (Saxvik & Associates), 1991-98, he was engaged to carry out on-site investigation and conceptual design of fishways in Bangladesh (1993) and design of a second low-level fishway on the East Bank at Hell’s Gate built in 1994. Photo Credit: |
