Civil Engineer Jason Wagner, P.E., has been named the US Bureau of Reclamation's (USBR) 2020 Engineer of the Year for his work on designing fish passage structures around the West.
“Jason’s work has been important to Reclamation, its partners and the American public,” said USBR Commissioner Brenda Burman. “His cutting-edge work as an engineer has led to projects that protect fish while ensuring water delivery commitments.”
For the past five years, Wagner has served as the technical design lead for the novel Cle Elum Dam Fish Passage Facility in Washington, a project that involves more than 200 engineers, scientists, architects, and hydraulic modelers. The project united federal, state, city, tribal, agricultural, and environmental organizations to support the restoration of sockeye salmon in the Yakima River basin. The total project cost is estimated at about $200 million.
He has also led or played a significant role in the designs of the Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project, Coleman National Fish Hatchery facility improvements, Link River Dam fish ladder and Nimbus Dam Fish Hatchery fish ladder. Additionally, he has served on various senior level planning reviews related to the San Joaquin River Restoration and Klamath Basin Fish Screening and Passage.
Wagner is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers and is registered as a project management professional.