Unlawful failure to use or maintain approved fish guard on water diversion device—Penalty.
(1) A person is guilty of unlawful failure to use or maintain an approved fish guard on a diversion device if the person owns, controls, or operates a device used for diverting or conducting water from a lake, river, or stream and:
(a) The device is not equipped with a fish guard, screen, or bypass approved by the director as required by RCW
77.57.010 or
77.57.070; or
(b) The person knowingly fails to maintain or operate an approved fish guard, screen, or bypass so as to effectively screen or prevent fish from entering the intake.
(2) Unlawful failure to use or maintain an approved fish guard, screen, or bypass on a diversion device is a gross misdemeanor. Following written notification to the person from the department that there is a violation, each day that a diversion device is operated without an approved or maintained fish guard, screen, or bypass is a separate offense.