USGS scientist helped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FISHBIO to collect and tag adult green sturgeon on the Sacramento River. The purpose of the project is to monitor fish movements and behavior in relation to flood control projects in the Sacramento River.
Amy C Hansen
Amy is a Fish Biologist in the Western Fisheries Research Center working out of the Columbia River Research Laboratory in Cook, Washington. Her research focuses on Pacific salmon, green sturgeon, dam passage and survival, and restoration monitoring in Washington, Oregon, and California.
Amy’s research focus is describing fish migration and survival of juvenile and adult Pacific salmon and green sturgeon in rivers and reservoirs throughout Washington, Oregon, and California. A combination of telemetry techniques are used at a variety of high-head and diversion dams or modified river channels to describe and understand migratory fish movements in relation to flows, seasonal and diel timing, and passage structures. Recently, Amy monitored a restoration site intended to provide new rearing habitat for juvenile Pacific salmon and other community fishes. Future monitoring will provide insights into how juvenile fish are utilizing this restored site over time, within a migration season and between years.
Professional Experience
2000 to Present - Fish Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory, Cook, WA
2000 - Biologist, IAP/Johnson Controls, at Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory, Cook, WA
Education and Certifications
1997: Advanced Open Water SCUBA certification
1995: Open Water SCUBA certification
B.S. 1995. Biology. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Fisheries Society
North American Sturgeon and Paddlefish Society
Honors and Awards
2002, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006 - Star Performance Award
Science and Products
Outmigration behavior and survival of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in response to deep drawdown of the Lookout Point Project, Middle Fork Willamette River, Oregon
Adult green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) movements in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, California, December 2020–January 2023
Survival implications of diversion entrainment for outmigrating juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss)
Passage of adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) over Lake Creek Falls, Oregon, 2019
Juvenile green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) movement during autumn and winter in the lower Sacramento River, California, 2016–20
Monitoring the movements of juvenile Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) in the Yakima River, Washington, using acoustic telemetry, 2019–20
Behavior and survival of hatchery rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the upper Cowlitz River Basin, Washington, 2013 and 2017
Evaluation of movement and survival of juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in the Klickitat River, Washington, 2018–2019
Evaluation of factors affecting migration success of adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Yakima River, Washington, 2020
Behavior and movement of adult winter steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the upper Cowlitz River Basin, Washington, 2017–18
Evaluation of water temperature effects on adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) behavior in the Yakima River, Washington, 2019
Using the STARS Model to evaluate the effects of two proposed projects for the long-term operation of State Water Project Incidental Take Permit Application and CEQA compliance
Acoustic-tagged juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) detections in Lookout Point Reservoir and downstream in the Middle Fork Willamette River, Oregon
USGS scientist helped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FISHBIO to collect and tag adult green sturgeon on the Sacramento River. The purpose of the project is to monitor fish movements and behavior in relation to flood control projects in the Sacramento River.

USGS scientist helped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FISHBIO to collect and tag adult green sturgeon on the Sacramento River. The purpose of the project is to monitor fish movements and behavior in relation to flood control projects in the Sacramento River.
USGS scientist helped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FISHBIO to collect and tag adult green sturgeon on the Sacramento River. The purpose of the project is to monitor fish movements and behavior in relation to flood control projects in the Sacramento River.

Brian Ekstrom and Lance Downing pulling the beach seine to collect juvenile fish at a restoration site on the lower Columbia River
linkBrian Ekstrom and Lance Downing of USGS are pulling a beach seine to collect juvenile fish for monitoring at a restoration site on the lower Columbia River. The restoration site was created with dredge material in October of 2020 and USGS is monitoring juvenile salmon use, community assemblage, and predator presence.
Brian Ekstrom and Lance Downing pulling the beach seine to collect juvenile fish at a restoration site on the lower Columbia River
linkBrian Ekstrom and Lance Downing of USGS are pulling a beach seine to collect juvenile fish for monitoring at a restoration site on the lower Columbia River. The restoration site was created with dredge material in October of 2020 and USGS is monitoring juvenile salmon use, community assemblage, and predator presence.
Shoreline traps in Lookout Point Reservoir, Oregon.
Shoreline traps in Lookout Point Reservoir, Oregon.
Juvenile Chinook salmon on the Middle Fork Willamette River, Oregon.
Juvenile Chinook salmon on the Middle Fork Willamette River, Oregon.
Science and Products
Outmigration behavior and survival of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in response to deep drawdown of the Lookout Point Project, Middle Fork Willamette River, Oregon
Adult green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) movements in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, California, December 2020–January 2023
Survival implications of diversion entrainment for outmigrating juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss)
Passage of adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) over Lake Creek Falls, Oregon, 2019
Juvenile green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) movement during autumn and winter in the lower Sacramento River, California, 2016–20
Monitoring the movements of juvenile Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) in the Yakima River, Washington, using acoustic telemetry, 2019–20
Behavior and survival of hatchery rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the upper Cowlitz River Basin, Washington, 2013 and 2017
Evaluation of movement and survival of juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in the Klickitat River, Washington, 2018–2019
Evaluation of factors affecting migration success of adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Yakima River, Washington, 2020
Behavior and movement of adult winter steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the upper Cowlitz River Basin, Washington, 2017–18
Evaluation of water temperature effects on adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) behavior in the Yakima River, Washington, 2019
Using the STARS Model to evaluate the effects of two proposed projects for the long-term operation of State Water Project Incidental Take Permit Application and CEQA compliance
Acoustic-tagged juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) detections in Lookout Point Reservoir and downstream in the Middle Fork Willamette River, Oregon
USGS scientist helped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FISHBIO to collect and tag adult green sturgeon on the Sacramento River. The purpose of the project is to monitor fish movements and behavior in relation to flood control projects in the Sacramento River.
USGS scientist helped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FISHBIO to collect and tag adult green sturgeon on the Sacramento River. The purpose of the project is to monitor fish movements and behavior in relation to flood control projects in the Sacramento River.

USGS scientist helped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FISHBIO to collect and tag adult green sturgeon on the Sacramento River. The purpose of the project is to monitor fish movements and behavior in relation to flood control projects in the Sacramento River.
USGS scientist helped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FISHBIO to collect and tag adult green sturgeon on the Sacramento River. The purpose of the project is to monitor fish movements and behavior in relation to flood control projects in the Sacramento River.

Brian Ekstrom and Lance Downing pulling the beach seine to collect juvenile fish at a restoration site on the lower Columbia River
linkBrian Ekstrom and Lance Downing of USGS are pulling a beach seine to collect juvenile fish for monitoring at a restoration site on the lower Columbia River. The restoration site was created with dredge material in October of 2020 and USGS is monitoring juvenile salmon use, community assemblage, and predator presence.
Brian Ekstrom and Lance Downing pulling the beach seine to collect juvenile fish at a restoration site on the lower Columbia River
linkBrian Ekstrom and Lance Downing of USGS are pulling a beach seine to collect juvenile fish for monitoring at a restoration site on the lower Columbia River. The restoration site was created with dredge material in October of 2020 and USGS is monitoring juvenile salmon use, community assemblage, and predator presence.
Shoreline traps in Lookout Point Reservoir, Oregon.
Shoreline traps in Lookout Point Reservoir, Oregon.
Juvenile Chinook salmon on the Middle Fork Willamette River, Oregon.
Juvenile Chinook salmon on the Middle Fork Willamette River, Oregon.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government