About FSOC

    Purpose

  • The Fish Screening Oversight Committee (FSOC) provides interested parties with technical information necessary to facilitate effective planning and implementation of fish screening projects in the Columbia River Basin, consistent with best available science and applicable law.
  • The FSOC facilitates discussion among fish managers of the technical merits and implications of projects and issues to find agreement.
  • The FSOC provides a forum for federal, state, tribal, and private entities to exchange information on fish screening concerns in the Columbia River Basin.
    Functions

  • The FSOC responds to technical analysis requests of regional entities.
  • FSOC analyses and recommendations account for:
    • Where the assignment has come
    • All applicable information and prior research
    • Practicable alternatives
    • Risk and uncertainty
  • The FSOC oversees the conduct of the Bi-annual Pacific Northwest Fish Screening and Passage Workshop.
  • The FSOC facilitates discussion and technical exchange regarding design criteria and guidelines, biological study results, testing and assessment of experimental technology, improvements in manufacturing and construction techniques, and prioritization and inventories for fish screens, and as appropriate provides recommendations to interested parties regarding the results of such technical exchange.
    Procedures

  • The FSOC is composed of qualified representatives from federal, state, tribal, or private entities.
  • The FSOC has a chair to manage the meetings and operations of the committee. The chair serves a one-year term, running from October through September of each year. Each October a new chair is elected. Election of the chair is based on the votes of the committee members present, either in person or by telephone, at the meeting during which the election is held or their proxies.
  • Regularly scheduled meetings of the FSOC are open to the public.
  • QW Consulting facilitates committee meetings but is not part of the decision process. QW staff is responsible for the distribution of agendas, reports, etc., as well as meeting arrangements.
  • The chair, with the assistance of QW staff, prepares and distributes a written agenda no later than one week prior to each meeting.
  • The chair, with the assistance of QW staff, prepares and distributes the action notes no later than one week after the meeting.
  • The FSOC can meet at the request of the chair or at the request of a majority of the committee members.