Kleinschmidt to lead fish passage workshop at 2026 CDA conference

Kleinschmidt Associates Canada will host a full-day Fish Passage 101 workshop at the Canadian Dam Association’s 2026 annual conference in Halifax. The session is aimed at dam owners and engineers facing tighter fish passage expectations and growing pressure to restore aquatic connectivity.

Why it matters: - Fish passage has become a core part of dam design and rehabilitation as regulators push for stronger aquatic connectivity. - The workshop is aimed at dam owners and engineers who need practical ways to meet environmental and operational requirements at the same time.

What happened: - Kleinschmidt Associates Canada will present a full-day workshop, Fish Passage 101, at the 2026 Canadian Dam Association Annual Conference & Trade Show. - The session is set for Sunday, Oct. 25, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. - The CDA conference runs Oct. 25-28 in Halifax. - The workshop will be led by Ambroise Percheron, senior project manager; Jesse Waldrip, principal consultant and fisheries engineer; and Bryan Appell, senior fisheries and aquatic ecologist.

The details: - The workshop will focus on how engineering and ecological principles combine to create fishway solutions that work in the field. - Kleinschmidt is positioning the session as a broader follow-up to its nature-like fishway workshop at the 2025 CDA Conference. - The company says the new session will cover the most widely used fish passage approaches today. - Registration and additional conference information are available through the Canadian Dam Association via the workshop page. - Kleinschmidt Associates provides engineering, regulatory and environmental consulting for North American energy companies and government agencies. - The company says it has spent more than half a century developing practical solutions at the intersection of regulatory requirements, environmental science and engineering. - The company’s website is kleinschmidtgroup.com. - The Canadian Dam Association says it is Canada’s leading organization for technical knowledge and best practices related to dams and reservoirs. - CDA says it serves owners, operators, regulators, consultants, suppliers and academics through technical guidance, workshops, publications and its annual conference. - CDA’s website is cda.ca.

Between the lines: - The session reflects a wider industry shift toward fish passage as both a compliance issue and a design priority. - Kleinschmidt is using the CDA conference to expand on a topic it already introduced at the 2025 event, suggesting ongoing demand for practical guidance. - The emphasis on collaboration between ecology and engineering signals that fish passage projects now require cross-disciplinary planning, not just structural fixes.

What's next: - Attendees can register and get more information through the Canadian Dam Association. - The workshop will take place during the opening day of the four-day conference in Halifax. - Kleinschmidt is likely to continue building on its fish passage work as regulatory expectations evolve.