About Us

John Blum, Fisheries Biologist/Instream Flow Biologist/Endangered Species Assessment

John Blum is a fisheries expert with years of education and experience in industry issues. As a fisheries biologist, instream flow biologist and endangered species assessment expert, Blum has used his expertise to provide in-depth analysis, habitat assessment and a number of highly specialized industry services.

His educational background includes a Master of Science in Fisheries, a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology and a Bachelor of Science in Business, specializing in Business Management.

Mr. Blum has conducted over 100 fisheries, fish habitat and instream flow studies throughout the Pacific Northwest, including on the Columbia River System in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, as well as Alaska, British Columbia, the East Coast and overseas. He is extensively trained and certified in the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology, including two-dimensional modeling.

He was Project Manager and Principal Scientist for numerous Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing efforts, including Box Canyon Dam (Pend Oreille PUD) and Packwood Lake (Energy Northwest). He was recently the Environmental Permitting Project Manager for Chelan PUD.

Previously, Mr. Blum was the Project Manager and principal scientist for the Avista Ramping Rate studies on the Spokane River, was principal scientist for the Anyox Creek, Kitsault River, and Box Canyon and Wahleach creeks hydroelectric projects in British Columbia.  He was principal scientist and Project Manager for the Grant Creek Hydroelectric Project instream flow studies on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.   Mr. Blum’s professional experience also includes working as project manager for relicensing studies performed for Chelan County Public Utility District on Lake Chelan and Rocky Reach Hydroelectric projects.

In the past, Mr. Blum worked for the Fish Passage Center conducting travel time studies from hatcheries and hydroelectric facilities on the Mid-Columbia and Snake River systems in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

In addition, Mr. Blum has experience in the development of biological assessments for species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the upper Columbia River system and for Washington coastal salmon. As part of the Box Canyon relicensing process, Mr. Blum conducted a radio-telemetry study to determine migration patterns and entrapment and impingement potential of salmonids at the hydroelectric facility and managed an adfluvial trapping program to determine the connectivity of the Box Canyon Reservoir to its major tributaries.

For more information on Mr. Blum's experience, see his complete resume.