Fish wheels for commercial fishing is only allowed in Alaska along the Copper River and the Yukon River.
Fish wheel operations on the Columbia were finally banned in 1928, in Oregon, and 1935 in Washington.
The baskets scoop fish out of the water without snaring or hooking them, thus keeping them unharmed.
Once on the deck, they can be measured, weighed, tagged, and released.
Sources:Offbeat Oregon/Laws of Fishing/Oregon Historical Society/Wikipedia
