National Fish Passage Program Reconnecting Aquatic Species to Historical Habitats Program Accomplishments 1999-2001

              U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
National Fish
Passage Program
Reconnecting Aquatic Species to
Historical Habitats
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001
The Nation’s fisheries, and the
economies they support, depend on
the ability of fish to gain access to
healthy aquatic habitats. Fish in
lakes, rivers, and estuaries need to
migrate to vital habitats for
spawning, feeding, and growth. Yet
millions of artificial barriers block
fish movements in the United States.
To address this problem, the
Service’s Fisheries Program
established the National Fish
Passage Program in 1999. This
report tells what we have done since
the Program’s inception to provide
new paths to old homes for
America’s fish populations.
The Fish Passage Program is an
outstanding example of a voluntary,
habitat-based approach to fisheries
conservation. The program is citizen
centered and produces impressive
on-the-ground results, restoring
unimpeded flows and fish migration
in partnership with Federal, State,
Tribal and local governments, non-governmental
organizations, and
private landowners.
Loss and alteration of aquatic
habitats are principal factors in the
decline of native fish and other
aquatic resources. Obsolete dams,
poorly designed culverts, and
unscreened water diversions
degrade aquatic habitat throughout
the nation. With recent
improvements in water quality, and
effective harvest management
practices in place, restoring fish
passage is one of the most far-reaching
measures we can take to
conserve fishery resources. The
Service looks forward to continuing
and expanding its alliance with our
partners on this important initiative.
Director
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 i
Foreword
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
National Fish Passage Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Fish Passage Decision Support System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Program Accomplishments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Region 1 – Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Region 2 – Southwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Region 3 – Great Lakes-Big Rivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Region 4 – Southeast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Region 5 – Northeast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Region 6 – Mountain-Prairie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Region 7 – Alaska. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Future Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Information for Potential Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 iii
Table of Contents
Early in our history, rivers ran wild,
and fish followed them according to
their needs. In the ensuing years,
America fueled the Industrial
Revolution with resources of water,
timber, minerals and wildlife. Early
American innovation and progress
were generally oblivious to their
dependence on the fragile natural
world. American resources seemed
abundant without end. Then the fish
began to disappear.
All river fish migrate between
feeding and spawning areas and
make other seasonal movements to
important habitats. Barriers prevent
natural fish migrations, keeping
them from these habitats. As a
result, some populations of native
fish are gone and others are in
drastic decline.
Millions of culverts, dikes, water
diversions, dams, and other artificial
barriers were constructed to
impound and redirect water for
irrigation, flood control, electricity,
drinking water, and transportation—
all changing natural features of
rivers and streams. After more than
three centuries of building dams and
other barriers on rivers and streams,
many Americans are increasingly
concerned about their effects on fish
and other aquatic species. Many
dams are obsolete and no longer
serve their original purpose.
Culverts that funnel water beneath
roads and train tracks often pose
insurmountable barriers to fish.
In 1999, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service initiated the National Fish
Passage Program to work with
others to address these problems.
The purposes of this report are to
describe the Program, its activities
and accomplishments from 1999
through 2001, and the role and
contributions of partners and
stakeholders in accomplishing
these results.
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 1
Introduction
Through its National Fish Passage
Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service uses a voluntary, non-regulatory
approach to remove and
bypass barriers. The Program
addresses the problem of fish
barriers on a national level, working
with local communities and partner
agencies to restore natural flows and
fish migration. The Program is
administered by National and
Regional Coordinators and delivered
by Fish and Wildlife Management
Assistance Offices, with 300
biologists located across the Nation.
Appropriations for the Program
support the Coordinators, in-the-water
fish passage projects, and the
Fish Passage Decision Support
System (described below). The
Program provides technical
assistance and funding to assist
others in restoring fish passage.
Types of assistance include providing
information on fish and habitat needs
and methods for fish to bypass
barriers.
Fish Passage Decision
Support System
The Fish Passage Decision Support
System assists the Service and its
partners in planning and prioritizing
fish passage projects. The system is
a geographically-referenced
database of barriers preventing fish
movement, including barrier
location, type, size, owner and
passage capabilities, associated fish
species, and habitat information. By
early 2003, the system will provide
an on-line data entry and mapping
utility program, with analytical
Geographic Information System
(GIS) capabilities. The user will be
able to ‘point-and-click’ on existing
barriers for displaying information
at that location and point to rivers
and streams to identify new barrier
locations for data entry. Analytical
capabilities will include the capacity
to calculate river miles opened after
barrier removal. Integration with
GIS software increases the
capabilities of fisheries scientists to
make better management decisions,
prioritize fish passage projects,
identify critical areas, and
implement projects.
Currently, the database incorporates
information from the Army Corps of
Engineers’ National Inventory of
Dams, state dam databases from
North Carolina and Tennessee, and a
regional database (StreamNet) from
the Pacific States Marine Fisheries
Commission. Service biologists will
be entering additional data from
inventory projects. Smaller dams,
culverts, dikes, and irrigation
diversions will be added from
national, state, and local sources.
Also, a partnership is in place for
developing and incorporating a
stream module of the Multi-State
Aquatic Resources Information
System (MARIS), which will compile
State stream fisheries databases.
2 National Fish Passage Program
National Fish Passage Program
Program Goal
To restore native fish and
other aquatic species to
self-sustaining levels by
reconnecting habitat that has
been fragmented by barriers,
where such re-connection would
not result in a net negative
ecological effect such as
providing increased habitat to
exotic species.
Fish Passage Program Funding History
Dollars (millions)
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
1999 2000 2001 2002
Since 1999, the Fish Passage
Program has:
■ Supported 76 fish passage
projects with over 141 different
partners,
■ Restored access to over 3,443
miles of river habitat and 65,088
acres of wetlands for fish
spawning and growth, and
■ Leveraged partner contributions
totaling $6.2 million, compared to
the Program investment of
$2.3 million.
Restoring fish passage benefits
people, fish and other animals. Fish
passage projects increase habitat
available for fish spawning and
growth. Anglers, and commercial
and subsistence fishers benefit from
larger fish populations, which are
distributed across more available
habitats. Natural flows and
temperature are restored for
salmon, trout, sturgeon, striped
bass, herring and shad, paddlefish,
and many more native and declining
forage and game species. Fish-eating
birds such as eagles, ospreys and
kingfishers have more forage, and
bears, otters and mink benefit from
larger fish populations.
Eighteen endangered, threatened,
or candidate aquatic species
populations have directly benefitted
from fish passage projects,
including:
■ Atlantic Salmon
■ Chinook Salmon
■ Coho Salmon
■ Chum Salmon
■ Steelhead
■ Arctic Grayling
■ Apache Trout
■ Lahontan Cuttroat Trout
■ Bull Trout
■ Pallid Sturgeon
■ Shortnose Sturgeon
■ Gila Chub
■ Leopard Darter
■ Loach Minnow
■ Cui-ui
■ Topeka Shiner
■ Cape Fear Shiner
■ Plain Pocketbook Mussel
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 3
Program Accomplishments
Culvert renovation on Duck
Creek, AK.
Dam removal on Conodoguinet
Creek, PA.
Emptying fish trap to evaluate
fish passage effectiveness at
Mattamuskeet NWR, NC.
Financial Investment in
Project Completion
Program
Contribution
27%
Partner
Contribution
73%
The following pages identify, by
Region, all projects initiated or
completed through 2001 and
highlights 27 projects with a brief
description. For more information on
the projects, visit the Program web
site at http://fisheries.fws.gov/
fwsma/fishpassage.
Douglas DeHart – Fish Passage
Program Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
911 N.E. 11th Avenue
Portland, OR 97232-4181
Fish passage has been and continues
to be a major issue in fishery
resource protection, restoration, and
enhancement in the Pacific Region.
Water diversions and associated
dams redirect and impound water
from streams and rivers for crop
irrigation, flood control,
hydroelectric power, drinking water,
and other beneficial purposes. Many
farms and ranches in the West are
irrigated by water diverted from
rivers and streams into irrigation
canals. Water diversions can block
normal migration of fish, and
diversion of fish into pumps, pipes,
irrigation canals, and fields can
greatly reduce their survival.
Since 1999, the Fish Passage
Program has implemented 8 fish
passage projects, including culvert
renovations, fishways, dam
removals, and fish screening
structures. These projects have
provided uninhibited access to over
123 miles of river and stream
habitat, and 1,100 acres of wetland
habitat, for fish spawning, rearing
and growth.
In 2002, new cost-share funding
opportunities became available
through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service for voluntary fish screening
and passage projects associated with
water diversions in Idaho, Oregon,
and Washington. Fish screens placed
at entrances to water diversions can
prevent juvenile salmon from
swimming into irrigation canals,
thereby decreasing mortality for
these and other native fishes.
These partners contributed funds
and cooperative efforts toward
accomplishments in restoring fish
passage in Region 1. Their
contributions are gratefully
acknowledged.
■ U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
■ U.S. Forest Service
■ U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
■ National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation
■ Yakama Nation, WA
■ Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, NV
■ Yurok Tribe, CA
■ Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife
■ Washington Department of
Natural Resources Jobs for the
Environment
■ Del Norte County, CA
■ Mason County Department of
Public Works, WA
■ California Conservation Corp
■ Reid Realty, WA
■ Hood Canal Enhancement Group,
WA
■ Volunteer Services, WA
■ Washington Aquatic Land
Enhancement Action
■ Ducks Unlimited
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 5
Region 1 – Pacific
National Fish Passage Program projects in USFWS Region 1, 1999-2001
State Project Title Project Type Year Funded
WA Tahuya River Culvert Renovation 1999
(Buffin Creek)*
WA Tahuya River Culvert Renovation 1999
(WRIA 15-0470)*
WA Icicle Creek Fishway Design 1999
CA Mynot Creek Culvert Renovation 2000
OR Blitzen River, Fish Screens 2000
Malheur NWR*
NV Truckee River Fish Screen Renovation 2001
WA Skobob Creek Culvert Renovation 2001
CA Little Shasta River* Dam Removal and Screening 2001
* Highlighted on the following pages.
Location of Fish Passage Program
projects in Region 1, 1999-2001
Project Description:
Buffin Creek and unnamed stream
WRIA 15-0470 are tributaries to the
Tahuya River, which is located on the
Kitsap Peninsula in western
Washington. The Tahuya River
discharges into the Hood Canal fjord
of Puget Sound. The upper reaches
of these streams had been
inaccessible to anadromous
salmonids due to blockage by poorly
sized and placed road culverts.
Project Method:
The former undersized culvert on
Buffin Creek was replaced with a
pipe arch culvert. The culvert was
laid flat and countersunk, and three
log weirs were installed to adjust the
stream grade. Gravel was placed to
restore the stream bed, and rock
riprap was placed to maintain road
bank stability. On the unnamed
stream, the culvert remained;
however, five log weirs were installed
to provide step pools with adequate
water depths for fish passage.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Renovation of both culverts opened
up 4.5 miles of stream habitat within
2,210 acres of relatively undisturbed
watershed area. In addition, 113
acres of wetland habitat are
associated with these stream
segments. Correcting these passage
barriers provided unrestricted
access to former spawning and
rearing habitats for adult and
juvenile coho salmon, steelhead
trout, and cutthroat trout.
Replacement of the Buffin Creek
culvert also allows for more natural
transport of woody debris and
sediment through the system.
Partners:
Reid Realty, Hood Canal
Enhancement Group, Volunteer
Services, Washington Aquatic Land
Enhancement Action, Mason County
Department of Public Works,
Washington Department of Natural
Resources Jobs for the
Environment, and private
landowners.
For more information contact:
Western Washington Fishery
Resources Office, 2625 Parkmont
Lane, Building A, Olympia,
WA 98502
6 National Fish Passage Program
Region 1
Tahuya River, Washington
2 Projects
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
Culvert on Buffin Creek before
renovation.
Culvert on Buffin Creek after
renovation.
Culvert on unnamed stream before
renovation
Step pools installed after renovation
$40,000
$70,000
Project Description:
Historically, Mud Creek and Bridge
Creek were direct tributaries to the
Blitzen River. Today, these systems
are altered and water is mixed due to
diversion dams and canals. Blitzen
River is re-directed into the West
Canal and the East Canal, with Mud
Creek and Bridge Creek flowing into
the East Canal. A portion of the
mixed water is then returned to
Bridge Creek, and eventually to the
Blitzen River. Historically, limited
fish passage was provided. Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge has
committed to providing fish passage
throughout this system for redband
trout to reconnect them to historical
habitats and natural movements.
Several fish screening devices and
fishways have been installed;
however, several passage and
screening problems remain
unresolved.
Project Methods:
At the Bridge Creek headgates, four
inverted weirs are being constructed
below the headgates to dissipate the
undershot flows. Immediately below
the gaging station weir, a small log
and rock weir is being constructed to
create a jump pool. At the Blitzen
River headgates, one of the three
existing headgates have been
removed and a Denil fishway is being
installed in its place.
Other fish screen projects, some with
fish ladders, have been completed on
the Refuge. These prevent fish
entrainment and diversion into pipes
and canals.
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 7
Region 1
Blitzen River, Malheur NWR, Oregon
Headgate at the Bridge Creek/East
Canal Bridge creates a barrier at
high flows
Downstream view of the headgate at
East Canal/Blitzen River
Bridge Creek gaging station creates
passage barrier during low flows
Upstream view of the headgate at
East Canal/Blitzen River
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
When all fish passage projects are
complete, approximately six miles of
important spawning habitat in
Bridge and Mud creeks will be
reconnected with the Blitzen River
and Malheur Lake. The refuge will
provide further protection to
redband trout and secure eight miles
of habitat in the lower Blitzen River
drainage by providing passage in
East Canal. The Refuge will also
reconnect East Canal, Boca Lake,
Bridge Creek and Mud Creek with
over 65 miles of the upper Blitzen
River and tributaries. The projects
in East Canal and Bridge Creek will
directly benefit redband trout,
mountain whitefish and other native
fish species in the Blitzen River
watershed.
Partners:
Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife, National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, and Ducks Unlimited.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge,
HC 72 Box 245, Princeton, OR 97721
8 National Fish Passage Program
Region 1
Blitzen River, Malheur NWR, Oregon
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$0
$160,000
Solar-powered fish screen on
Bridge Creek
Rotary drum fish screen on
East Canal
Fish screen with ladder on
East Canal
Bob Pitman – Fish Passage
Program Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
P.O. Box 1306, Room 3118
Albuquerque, NM 87103-1306
The Fisheries Program in the
Southwest Region focuses on
interjurisdictional fishery resources,
fishery resources on Indian
Reservations or National Wildlife
Refuges, fisheries lost to federal
water development projects,
recovery of species protected under
the Endangered Species Act,
restoring depleted fish populations,
and non-indigenous aquatic nuisance
species.
Between 1999 and 2001, the
Southwest Region has implemented
seven fish passage projects,
including culvert renovations,
repairing low flow road crossings,
and restructuring water control
structures. Over 51 miles of stream
habitat has been opened up for
spawning, rearing and feeding to
benefit Apache trout, leopard darter,
Ouachita shiner, Gila chub, desert
sucker, and other native species.
These partners contributed funds
and cooperative efforts toward
accomplishments in restoring fish
passage in Region 2. Their
contributions are gratefully
acknowledged.
■ U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
■ San Carlos Apache Tribal Roads
Department, AZ
■ San Carlos Apache Tribal
Recreation and Wildlife
Department, AZ
■ White Mountain Apache Tribe,
AZ
■ Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation
■ Texas Department of Parks and
Wildlife
■ Kansas Department of Wildlife
and Parks
■ John Hancock Timber Industries,
OK
■ Ash Creek Cattle Association, AZ
■ Aluminum Company of America,
TX
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 9
Region 2 – Southwest
National Fish Passage Program projects in USFWS Region 2, 1999-2001
State Project Title Project Type Year Funded
AZ Blue River Road Low-flow Road Crossing 2000
Crossing*
AZ Geronimo’s Cave* Flow Improvement 2000
OK Little River at Low-flow Road Crossing 2000
Horseshoe Bend
AZ Firebox Creek Culvert Renovation 2001
AZ Pacheta Creek Culvert Renovation 2001
OK Honobia Creek at Culvert/Road Restoration 2001
Bridge Three*
TX Foester Lake, Water Control Structure 2001
Aransas NWR
* Highlighted on the following pages.
Location of Fish Passage Program
projects in Region 2, 1999-2001
Project Description:
The Blue River is located on the San
Carlos Apache Indian Reservation,
in the east-central portion of
Arizona. The objective of the Blue
River Fish Passage Project was to
armor the wet road crossing at the
junction of the 1200 Road and the
Blue River.
Stream bed disturbance from vehicle
and road maintenance equipment
was creating erosion and water
quality issues in the Blue River. The
San Carlos Tribal Roads
Department had traditionally
addressed these issues by installing
culverts; however, this project was
designed to demonstrate an
alternative to culverts that also did
not create a fish passage barrier.
Project Method:
Cooperators installed a series of
precast cement slabs with galvanized
steel cables used to link them
together to form a mat on the stream
bed. The precast slabs were installed
by hand, minimizing the need for
heavy equipment, thereby reducing
the disturbance to the stream bed.
Spacing between the slabs allows for
the movement of fish even during
periods of low flow. Following the
construction of the mat, cement
slabs were poured on the banks
adjacent to the mat, which were
designed to stabilize the stream
banks and add an additional anchor
for the structure.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
The Blue River contains a secure
native fish assemblage that includes
the Gila chub, a candidate for listing
under the Endangered Species Act.
Vehicle movement across Blue River
has been enhanced by minimizing
the erosion and water quality
problems experienced before the
project. Fish have been observed
passing through the structure, both
during and after the project.
Partners:
San Carlos Recreation and Wildlife
Department, U.S. Bureau of Indian
Affairs Land Operations, San Carlos
Apache Tribal Roads Department,
and the Ash Creek Cattle
Association.
For more information contact:
Arizona Fishery Resources Office –
San Carlos, P.O. Box 710, Peridot,
AZ 85542
10 National Fish Passage Program
Region 2
Blue River Road Crossing, Arizona
Road traffic over Blue River Hand-placing precast slabs
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$18,600
$7,200
Completed road crossing restoration
project
Project Description:
The East Fork of the White River, a
tributary of the Salt River, is located
on the Fort Apache Indian
Reservation, home of the White
Mountain Apache Tribe. The Tribe
currently manages the river for the
protection of sensitive, federally
threatened, and native species, as
well as an Apache trout recreational
fishery. The Tribe also depends upon
the river to provide water for
agriculture. Throughout the lower
reaches of the river there are
numerous irrigation diversions.
Routine annual repair and
maintenance of these diversions is
conducted; however, there was
concern that some diversions were
preventing upstream movement of
fish during high flows with high
sediment transport.
Project Method:
Cooperators designed a modified
version of a cross vane weir. In
addition to the weir, native plants
were transplanted to prevent bank
erosion. The cross vane weir shape
was selected for the purpose of
directing water flow through the
irrigation ditch, but also away from
the stream banks. The new design
provides for delivery of water to the
irrigation ditch and re-directs water
flow to the center of the stream
channel, and away from eroded
banks.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Preliminary findings from seasonal
evaluations suggest that the
redesign of Geronimo’s Cave
diversion has maintained natural
channel morphology. Particular signs
of improvement include: less
dramatic change in channel gradient,
no braiding upstream of the channel,
no scour pool below the diversion,
and no bank erosion occurring
around the diversion. Species
benefitted by the project include the
threatened Apache trout and loach
minnow; desert sucker; Sonora
sucker; and speckled dace.
Partners:
White Mountain Apache Tribe
Watershed Program, Hydrology
Department, Wildlife and Outdoor
Recreation Division, and Land
Operations Division.
For more information contact:
Arizona Fishery Resources Office –
Pinetop, P.O. Box 39, Pinetop,
AZ 85935
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 11
Region 2
Geronimo’s Cave Irrigation
Diversion, Arizona
Inadequate conditions at
Geronimo’s Cave irrigation
diversion, preventing fish passage
The new design of the Geronimo’s
Cave irrigation diversion
Eroding banks at Geronimo’s Cave
irrigation diversion
Project Description:
The Little River Fish Passage
Project was a cooperative effort with
private landowners that restored the
natural function of this river, where
fish and other aquatic species could
utilize all stream segments and still
allow responsible harvest of timber
in the area. Honobia Creek is a
tributary to the Little River. This
low water crossing presented an
impediment to fish passage because
the arch pipes funnel a large volume
of water through a narrow culvert
creating abnormally high water
velocities within the culvert. At high
flows, the stream cuts the stream
bed downstream of the structure
creating a waterfall, which made it
particularly difficult for fish passage
at low water.
Project Method:
The project replaced the embedded
culvert type crossing with a box
culvert structure. Vehicular traffic
continues at this site.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
This project facilitates the genetic
exchange between fragmented
populations of Ouachita shiner
(species of concern) and leopard
darter (federally and state
threatened) by reconnecting 12 miles
of aquatic habitat. It also enhances
recreational fishing opportunities for
smallmouth bass and spotted bass.
Partners:
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation, Texas Department of
Parks and Wildlife, and John
Hancock Timber Industries.
For more information contact:
Oklahoma Fishery Resources Office,
5700 West Highway 7, Tishomingo,
OK 73460
12 National Fish Passage Program
Region 2
Honobia Creek at Bridge Three, Oklahoma
Honobia Creek at Bridge Three
before renovation
Honobia Creek at Bridge Three after
renovation
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$10,000
$10,000
Mike Hoff – Fish Passage
Program Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Federal Building
1 Federal Drive
Fort Snelling, MN 55111
The Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region
of the U.S.Fish andWildlife Service
is home to more than thirty million
people. The Great Lakes–deep
freshwater seas–are the largest
system of surface freshwater on the
Earth, accounting for more than 90%
of the surface freshwater in the U.S.
The lakes themselves create unique
conditions that support a wealth of
biological diversity, including more
than 130 rare species and ecosystems.
An estimated 180 species of fish are
native to the Great Lakes.
The ‘Big Rivers’ refer to the
Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio
Rivers Ecosystem. A total of 157 fish
species have been collected in the
Upper Mississippi River (UMR),
with more than 90% of these
classified as native. The Big Rivers
support a valuable recreational and
commercial fishery. From 1980 to
1995, landings of commercial fish
species in the UMR averaged about
10 million pounds with a wholesale
value of about $2 million. Common
carp, catfish species, buffalo species,
carpsucker species, paddlefish, and
freshwater drum compose the bulk
of this catch.
It has long been recognized that the
Great Lakes-Big Rivers’ fisheries,
and the economies they support,
depend on the ability of fish to reach
healthy aquatic habitats. Since 1999,
Region 3 has initiated 15 fish passage
projects through the National Fish
Passage Program, including culvert
or road crossing renovations, dam
removals, and the installation of fish
passage structures. These projects
have provided access to 162 miles of
river habitat and 960 acres of
wetland habitat for fish spawning,
rearing, and feeding.
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 13
Region 3 – Great Lakes-Big Rivers
National Fish Passage Program projects in USFWS Region 3, 1999-2001
State Project Title Project Type Year Funded
WI Chippewa River Assessment 1999
Paddlefish Study
MI Tin Shanty Bridge – Culvert Renovation 1999
Black River*
OH Western Lake Erie Fish Passage at Dike 1999-2000
Coastal Wetlands
MI Hardwood Creek Culvert Renovation 2000
WI Hornby Creek Beaver Dam Removal 2000
IA Western Iowa Streams* Road Crossing Stabilization 2001
MI North Branch of Culvert Renovation 2001
Manistee River*
MI Black River Barrier Inventory 2001
Watershed Inventory
MN Grand Portage Creek Culvert Renovation 2001
MN Little Lake Creek Culvert Renovation 2001
WI Graveyard Creek* Beaver Dam Removal 2001
WI/MI Building Fish Friendly Workshop 2001
Stream Crossings
MN Pelican River Dam Removal 2001
Dutton Locks*
MI McMasters Creek Culvert Renovation 2001
MI Stony Creek Culvert Renovation 2001
* Highlighted on the following pages.
Location of Fish Passage Program
projects in Region 3, 1999-2001
Educational workshops have been
conducted to promote better fish
passage at road crossings. The
Ashland Fishery Resources Office
sponsored a workshop in 2001 and
2002, entitled, How to Build Fish
Friendly Stream Crossings. The
2001 workshop, hosted by the
Marquette Biological Station, was
attended by 20 natural resource
managers and landowners.
These partners contributed funds
and cooperative efforts toward
accomplishments in restoring fish
passage in Region 3. Also in 2001,
Region 3 was successful in securing
$233,000 from the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to fund
fish passage projects in the Region.
All contributions are gratefully
acknowledged.
■ USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service
■ U.S. Geological Survey
■ National Parks Service
■ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
■ USFWS-Partners for Fish and
Wildlife Program
■ National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation
■ Bad River Tribe, WI
■ Grande Portage Indian
Reservation, WI
■ Michigan Department of Natural
Resources
■ Michigan Dept. of Environmental
Quality
■ Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources
■ Minnesota Department of
Transportation
■ Ohio Department of Natural
Resources
■ Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources
■ Kalkaska County Conservation
District, MI
■ Kalkaska County Road
Commission, MI
■ Cheboygan County Road
Commission, MI
■ Presque Isle County Road
Commission, MI
■ Otsego County Road Commission,
MI
■ Becker County, MN
■ City of Detroit Lakes, MN
■ Ohio State University
■ Iowa State University
■ Trout Unlimited
■ Ducks Unlimited
■ Upper Manistee River
Restoration Committee, MI
■ Maple Island Log Homes of
Michigan
■ Pelican River Watershed District,
MN
■ Upper Black River Watershed
Restoration Committee, MI
■ Michigan Flyfishing Club
■ Montmorency County
Conservation Club, MI
■ The Hungry Canyons Alliance, IA
■ Conservation Resources Alliance,
MI
■ Huron Pines Resource
Conservation and Development
Area Council, Inc., MI
■ Shell Noreast, MI
■ FishAmerica Foundation
■ Otsego Wildlife Legacy Society,
MI
■ Lowshaw Brothers, MI
■ Earthworks, MI
14 National Fish Passage Program
Region 3 – Great Lakes-Big Rivers
Project Description:
Twelve organizations from federal,
state and local government, local
industry, and non-governmental
organizations partnered and pooled
their funding to restore Tin Shanty
Bridge on the main branch of the
Black River in Otsego County.
Concern had grown by local groups
because this road/stream crossing
created a large source of sand and
silt to the watershed, and prevented
fish passage. The Upper Black River
is renowned throughout Michigan as
an outstanding native brook trout
fishery. The high sediment loads,
coupled with the lack of fish passage,
made the restoration of this
road/stream crossing a high priority
for all involved parties.
Project Method:
The two culverts were removed and
replaced with a 28 ft. steel span
bridge.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Restoration of Tin Shanty Bridge
has alleviated the restriction in the
river, allowing the river to regain its
natural flow rates and stream bed; it
no longer blocks fish passage; and
the bottomless span compensates for
50 year storm events. Brook trout
spawning habitat is located both
upstream and downstream of this
road/stream crossing.
Partners:
Huron Pines Resource Conservation
and Development Area Council,
Trout Unlimited, Shell Noreast,
National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, Montmorency County
Conservation Club, FishAmerica
Foundation, Otsego Wildlife Legacy
Society, Otsego Road Commission,
USDA-Natural Resource
Conservation Service, Michigan
Department of Natural Resources,
Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality, and Upper
Black River Watershed Restoration
Committee, Lowshaw Brothers, and
Earthworks.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Alpena Fishery Resources Office,
145 Water Street, Alpena, MI 49707
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 15
Region 3
Tin Shanty Bridge on the
Black River, Michigan
Tin Shanty Bridge on the Black River before (left) and after (right)
renovation
Tin Shanty bridge project partners
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$0
$120,000
Project Description:
Approximately 800 bridge crossings
on Missouri River tributary streams
in western Iowa are threatened by
stream bed degradation. Local
agencies are partnering to stabilize
these bridges by manipulating the
natural stream bed grade in the
area. Grade control structures are
being constructed with a 4:1
downstream slope, with a vertical
elevation of 2 to 25 feet above the
pre-construction stream bed.
Unfortunately, the unintended
consequence of stream bed grade
stabilization has been a precipitous
decline in native fish populations,
because many of these structures
are believed to be functioning as
barriers to fish migration.
Project Method:
This project modified six structures
on Walnut Creek, a Missouri River
tributary, to a 20:1 downstream
slope. Follow-up evaluation showed
this action restored fish passage
capabilities at these structures.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
All modifications restored 60 miles of
stream habitat for channel catfish,
flathead catfish, flathead chub,
Topeka shiner, paddlefish and
sauger.
Partners:
The Hungry Canyons Alliance, Iowa
Department of Natural Resources,
USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service, and Iowa
State University.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Columbia Fishery Resources Office,
608 East Cherry Street, Columbia,
MO 65201
16 National Fish Passage Program
Region 3
Western Iowa Streams Fish Passage
Improvement Project, Iowa
Streambed grade control preventing
fish passage
Renovated streambed providing
fish passage
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$45,000
$75,000
Project Description:
Located in Kalkaska County,
Michigan, the Sharon Road crossing
on the Manistee River impounded
water during precipitation events,
resulting in increased water
temperature and eroded riverbanks.
Due to lack of proper ditches and
sediment basins, stormwater ran
down the road, directly into the river,
carrying its sediment.
Project Method:
The improperly designed road
culvert was replaced with a single-span
wooden bridge at Sharon Road
on the North Branch of the Manistee
River.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
This project provided access to 12
additional stream miles for brook
trout, brown trout, and several other
species, during all types of flow
conditions, for spawning, rearing
and feeding. Construction of the
timber bridge and hardening of the
road surface also alleviated the
sediment runoff associated with the
crossing.
Partners:
Conservation Resources Alliance,
Huron Pines Resource Conservation
and Development Area Council, Inc.,
Trout Unlimited-Paul Young
Chapter, Kalkaska County
Conservation District, Kalkaska
County Road Commission, Michigan
Department of Natural Resources,
Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality, Upper
Manistee River Restoration
Committee, USDA-Natural
Resources Conservation Service,
Maple Island Log Homes of
Michigan, and USFWS-Partners for
Fish and Wildlife Program.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Alpena Fishery Resources, Office,
145 Water Street, Alpena, MI 49707
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 17
Region 3
Manistee River, Michigan
Bridge reconstruction on the
North Branch Manistee River at
Sharon Road.
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$10,000
$210,000
Project Description:
Historically, logging has altered the
Graveyard Creek watershed by
replacing old growth conifers and
hardwoods with shorter-lived aspen,
increasing the beaver population.
Because of beaver dams and log
jams, Graveyard Creek had become
seriously braided, causing sediment
to cover spawning substrate
throughout a section of the stream.
The Bad River Tribe has removed
beaver dams to restore Graveyard
Creek to one channel. The Tribe has
also installed wing dams and other
in-stream modifications to create
pools and began planting native
trees to replace those removed
during the logging era. The Tribe
will continue to manage the
watershed to restore coniferous and
hardwood forests, which is expected
to reduce or prevent reoccurring
beaver populations and stream
habitat problems.
Project Method:
A five mile section of habitat has
been affected by beaver dam activity.
Once a single channel has been
established, these 5 miles will be
restored to riverine habitat
conditions.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Increased water flow will scour the
sediment and expose the spawning
substrate for coaster brook trout.
The new wing dams and pools
created by this project will benefit
juvenile coasters by providing
resting, feeding, and overwintering
habitat.
Partners:
Bad River Tribe and USFWS
Coastal Program.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Ashland Fishery Resources Office,
2800 Lake Shore Drive East,
Ashland, WI 54806
18 National Fish Passage Program
Region 3
Graveyard Creek, Wisconsin
Beaver dam removal project on
Graveyard Creek.
Project Description:
Fish passage in the Red River
Drainage is a high priority for
fishery managers working within
this watershed. The Pelican River is
a tributary to the Ottertail River
that flows into the Red River. The
Dutton Locks dam on the Pelican
River, near Detroit Lakes,
Minnesota, restricted fish movement
in the river and in the Red River
drainage. Lake sturgeon have been
recently stocked into the Ottertail
River and Detroit Lake as part of a
recovery effort.
Project Method:
The existing dam located at the
Dutton Locks was removed and
replaced with a single channel rock
rapids with step pools and a ford
crossing, providing access to 10
miles of riverine habitat in the
Pelican River.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Lake sturgeon now have access to
additional habitat, thereby
increasing the chances of success for
lake sturgeon recovery. Restoring
these connections, and allowing fish
passage, increased habitat
availability for all fish.
Partners:
Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources, City of Detroit Lakes,
Becker County, and the Pelican
River Watershed District.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
LaCrosse Fishery Resources Office,
555 Lester Ave., Onalaska, WI 54650
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 19
Region 3
Dutton Locks on the Pelican River
(Red River Basin), Minnesota
Removal of the Dutton Locks and
installation of step pools on the
Pelican River (MN DNR photo).
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$20,000
$157,000
Tom Sinclair – Fish Passage
Program Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1875 Century Boulevard Suite 250
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
The southeastern U.S. is home to
over 60% of all the fish species within
North America north of Mexico.
These species support recreational
and commercial fisheries valued at
hundreds of millions of dollars.
Dams, channelization, dredging,
mining, and exotic species have all
contributed to physically degraded
habitats, decreased or eliminated
water flows, and fragmented and
displaced native populations.
Since 1999, the Southeast Region
and its partners have initiated 17
projects to improve fish passage in a
variety of ways. These projects
directly improved passage to over
800 miles of riverine habitat by
identifying barriers, planning
watershed passage needs, removing
artificial barriers, identifying
alternative operating procedures for
locks and dams, and monitoring
ecosystem responses. An additional
1,500 miles were indirectly improved
by these projects.
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 21
Region 4 – Southeast
National Fish Passage Program projects in USFWS Region 4, 1999-2001
State Project Title Project Type Year Funded
AL Claiborne Lock and Dam* Assessment 1999
NC Rains Mill Dam – Dam Removal 1999
Neuse River Basin*
FL Merritt Island NWR* Dike Removal 1999
SC/NC Santee-Cooper Basin Restoration Plan 1999
Diadromous Fish Passage
Restoration Plan
NC North Carolina GIS Barrier Inventory 1999
Database
NC Quaker Neck Dam Dam Removal Evaluation 1999
Removal Evaluation*
NC Delineation of Historic Study 1999
Diadromous Fish
Distribution and
Abundance
NC/VA Restoring Access to Fishway Design 1999
Roanoke River
FL Merritt Island NWR* Flow Improvement 2000
FL/GA Woodruff Lock and Study 2000
Dam Evaluation
NC Lake Mattamuskeet Water Control Improvement 2000
Passage
TN Tennessee River Barrier Inventory 2000
Dam Inventory
SC/GA New Savannah Bluff Fishway Design 2001
Lock and Dam
P.R. Coloso Dam on the Fishway Design 2000-2001
Culebrinas River*
SC Granby Dam Removals Dam Removal Study 2001
NC Chowan River Culvert Renovation 2001
* Highlighted on the following pages.
Location of Fish Passage Program
projects in Region 4, 1999-2001.
These partners contributed funds
and cooperative efforts toward
accomplishments in restoring fish
passage in Region 4. Their
contributions are gratefully
acknowledged.
■ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
■ U.S. Marine Corps
■ U.S. Geological Survey – Conte
Anadromous Fish Laboratory
■ USFWS – Coastal Program.
■ National Marine Fisheries
Service
■ Alabama Department of
Conservation and Natural
Resources
■ Geological Survey of Alabama
■ North Carolina Division of Water
Resources
■ North Carolina Wildlife
Resources Commission
■ North Carolina Marine Fish
Commission
■ North Carolina Division of
Marine Fisheries
■ North Carolina Department of
Transportation
■ North Carolina Division of
Emergency Management
■ South Carolina Department of
Natural Resources
■ South Carolina Electric and Gas
■ Puerto Rico Infrastructure
Improvement Agency
■ Puerto Rico Aqueducts and
Sewers Authority
■ Puerto Rico Water Company
■ Puerto Rico Department of
Natural and Environmental
Resources
■ Georgia Department of Natural
Resources
■ Tennessee Division of Water
Supply
■ Volusia County Mosquito Control
District, FL
■ East Carolina University, NC
■ Cornell University, NY
■ National Wildlife Federation
■ Northwest Florida Aquatic
Preserves – Dept. of
Environmental Protection
■ St. John’s River Water
Management District, FL
■ Carolina Power and Light
Company, NC
22 National Fish Passage Program
Region 4 – Southeast
Project Description:
This project was an evaluation of fish
movements and habitat use above,
below, and through the Claiborne
Lock and Dam on the Alabama River
in the Mobile River Basin. By
tracking tagged fish, the Geological
Survey of Alabama was able to
document river discharge levels
needed for fish passage over the
structure, determine the extent of
spawning migrations (300+ miles in
some instances), and identify an
extreme fidelity for specific habitat
zones.
Project Method:
The information collected was an
important first step towards
designing a fishway to enhance fish
passage.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Fish passage capabilities will target
blue sucker, river redhorse,
smallmouth buffalo, and other
species to access over 60 miles of
mainstem spawning and rearing
habitat previously accessible only
during years of extremely high river
discharge.
Partners:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Alabama Department of
Conservation and Natural
Resources, Geological Survey of
Alabama, private entities.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Daphne Ecological Services Office,
1208B Main Street, PO Drawer 1190,
Daphne, AL 36526
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 23
Region 4
Claiborne Lock and Dam, Alabama
Claiborne Lock and Dam
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$25,000
$8,300
Project Description and Method:
This project removed Rains Mill
Dam on the Little River (Neuse
River Basin), NC in November 1999.
A partnership led by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service resulted in the
removal of this 270-foot-long, 10-
foot-high barrier. This was the third
dam removal project completed as
part of a larger initiative to restore
fish passage at five sites in the Neuse
River Basin.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Removal opened up 151 miles of
suitable spawning and rearing
habitat for alewife, blueback herring,
American shad, American eel,
hickory shad, striped bass, Atlantic
sturgeon, and shortnose sturgeon.
Elimination of the associated 28 acre
impoundment will also allow
reoccupation of the site by two
species of endangered freshwater
mussel.
Partners:
North Carolina Division of Water
Resources, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, U.S. Marine Corps,
National Wildlife Federation, North
Carolina Wildlife Resources
Commission, and the USFWS
Coastal Program.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Raleigh Ecological Services Office,
551-F Pylon Drive, PO Box 33726,
Raleigh, NC 27636
24 National Fish Passage Program
Region 4
Rains Mill Dam Removal –
Neuse River Basin, North Carolina
Stream site before dam removal
(top and bottom)
Stream site after dam removal
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$25,000
$175,000
Project Description and Method:
The Merritt Island National Wildlife
Refuge lies within the Mosquito
Lagoon-Indian River-Banana River
estuary complex of east-central
Florida. Over 40 years ago,
important high marsh habitats were
completely cut off by a one mile dike
that was built during construction of
the Kennedy Space Center. This
impoundment had been previously
breached for tidal access at the north
and south ends, however, true
hydrological restoration was not
achieved due to the remaining
structure. This dike was removed in
1999; however, elevations of fill
remained in the estuary that
restricted outflows of rainwater and
impeded passage of some fish. Other
funds were used to grade the fill to
an elevation that allowed free
flowing water and fish passage.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Removal of the 1 mile dike, followed
by flow improvements, provided
unrestricted tidal flows and fish
passage into 38 acres of former salt
marsh at the Merritt Island National
Wildlife Refuge. Red drum, snook,
tarpon, black drum, spot, and striped
mullet can now pass between the
marsh and ocean habitats.
Partners:
Volusia County Mosquito Control
District and the St. John’s River
Water Management District.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Merritt Island NWR, State Road
402, P.O. Box 6504, Titusville, FL
32782
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 25
Region 4
Dike Removal at Merritt Island
National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
2 Projects
1996 aerial photograph showing dike
(black line) before being removed
Turbidity barrier crossing the south
breach of the impoundment
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$20,000
$60,000
Project Description and Methods:
This project performed an
evaluation of American shad and
striped bass movement and habitat
use above the recently removed
Quaker Neck Dam on the Neuse
River. Removal of Quaker Neck dam
was one of five dams removed as part
of a larger initiative to restore fish
passage in the Neuse River Basin.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
The evaluation found that both
American shad and striped bass
were spawning upstream of the
former dam site. Complete access
was provided to 79 miles of suitable
spawning and rearing habitat by
removal of the Quaker Neck dam.
Partners:
North Carolina Marine Fish
Commission, North Carolina
Wildlife Resources Commission,
U.S. Geological Survey, and Carolina
Power and Light Company
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Raleigh Ecological Services Office,
551-F Pylon Drive, PO Box 33726,
Raleigh, NC 27636
26 National Fish Passage Program
Region 4
Quaker Neck Dam Removal
Evaluation, North Carolina
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$5,000
$67,000
Stream site during dam removal Stream site after dam removal
Striped bass spawning locations before and after
dam removal
Project Description and Methods:
Since the 1930s, the Coloso Dam on
the Culebrinas River has impeded or
blocked access to river habitat. A
fishway has been designed for this 10
foot high barrier, located 1.5 miles
upstream from the mouth of the
Culebrinas River. Project partners
in Puerto Rico will refine the design
and implement construction the
fishway.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Construction of a fishway will open
access to 130 miles of river habitat
for American eel, river goby, Sirajo
goby, mountain mullet, and thirteen
species of migratory shrimp.
Partners:
Puerto Rico Infrastructure
Improvement Agency, Puerto Rico
Water Company, Puerto Rico
Department of Natural and
Environmental Resources, Puerto
Rico Aqueducts and Sewers
Authority, and the USGS-Conte Fish
Laboratory.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Boqueron Ecological Services Office,
Carr. 301, KM5.1, PO Box 491,
Boqueron, Puerto Rico 00622
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 27
Region 4
Coloso Dam on the Culebrinas
River, Puerto Rico
Coloso Dam on the Culebrinas River Shrimp attempting to migrate over
the Coloso Dam
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$20,000
$45,000
Dan Kuzmeskus – Fish Passage
Program Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
300 Westgate Center Drive
Hadley, MA 01035
Chris Castiglione – Assistant
Program Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
405 North French Road Suite 120A
Amherst, NY 14228
The Northeast Region works with
states and other partners to restore
and protect a variety of fish species,
including Atlantic salmon, striped
bass, American shad, weakfish,
winter flounder, Atlantic sturgeon,
and lake trout. Stable fish
populations indicate healthy river
systems that can provide ample
fishing and recreational
opportunities.
Since 1999, the Fish Passage
Program in Region 5 has initiated 7
projects that improved fish passage
by removing dams and designing
and building fishways. These
projects have directly improved
passage to 502 miles of riverine
habitat and over 1,000 acres of
wetland area. In addition, Region 5
has been successful in establishing
partnerships with Federal and State
agencies to identify fish passage
barriers within State or watershed
boundaries. This work is part of a
larger Fish Passage Program
initiative to develop a Fish Passage
Decision Support System. The
Decision Support System will be
geographically referenced, with
barrier location, associated species
and habitat information. In early
2003, the database will be available
on the internet to identify fish
barriers and aid in planning
solutions.
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 29
Region 5 – Northeast
National Fish Passage Program projects in USFWS Region 5, 1999-2001
State Project Title Project Type Year Funded
ME Pleasant Lake* Fish Ladder 1999
ME East Machias River* Dam Removal 2000
PA Manatawney Creek Dam Removal 2000
PA Good Hope Dam* Dam Removal 2001
NH Wiswall Dam on the Fish Ladder or Dam Removal
Lamprey River
MA Middlesex Dam on the Breach Stabilization 2001
Concord River
VA Appomattox River Fishway 2001
(Abutment Dam)
* Highlighted on the following pages.
Location of Fish Passage Program
projects in Region 5, 1999-2001
These partners contributed funds
and cooperative efforts toward
accomplishments in restoring fish
passage in Region 5. Their
contributions are gratefully
acknowledged.
■ National Park Service
■ USDA Natural Resource
Conservation Service
■ U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
■ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
■ U.S. Geological Survey
■ U.S. Air Force
■ National Marine Fisheries
Commission
■ National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation
■ Maine Department of Marine
Resources
■ Maine Department of Inland
Fisheries and Wildlife
■ Maine Department of
Transportation
■ Virginia Department of Game and
Inland Fish
■ Massachusetts Department of
Fish and Wildlife
■ Massachusetts Department of
Marine Fisheries
■ New Hampshire Department of
Fish and Game
■ New Hampshire Department of
Environmental Services
■ Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection
■ City of Petersburg, VA
■ Town of East Machias, ME
■ Town of Stetson, ME
■ Town of Durham, NH
■ University of New Hampshire
Facilities Services
■ Lamprey River Advisory
Committee, NH
■ Dufresne-Henry Inc., NH
■ FishAmerica Foundation
■ Trout Unlimited
■ American Rivers
■ Coastal Conservation Association
■ Hackle and Tackle Club, NH
■ Upper Pottstown Watershed
Association, PA
■ Charles George Landfill
Remediation, MA
■ Maine Atlantic Salmon
Commission
■ Atlantic Salmon Federation
■ Downeast Salmon Federation,
ME
30 National Fish Passage Program
Region 5 – Northeast
Project Description:
In 1998, the Edwards Dam on the
Kennebec River was removed,
permitting anadromous fish to
migrate an additional 17 miles
upstream to the confluence of the
Sebasticook River. Fish migrations
in the Sebasticook River are blocked
by three hydropower dams and four
non-hydropower dams, including
Pleasant Pond Dam. Installing a fish
ladder at Pleasant Pond Dam is part
of a larger initiative to restore fish
passage at these seven sites in the
Sebasticook River Basin. For
example, fish passage projects are
currently pending for
implementation at the three other
non-hydro dams in spring and
summer, 2002.
Project Methods:
A Denil steeppass fishway was
installed, allowing alewives
upstream migration to spawning
habitat. Providing fish passage at
Pleasant Pond Dam was a key step in
completing a large-scale restoration
effort in the Sebasticook River
Basin.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
The fishway provided access to
spawning habitat for an estimated
26,880 adult alewife annually.
Passage was provided to the 768-
acre Pleasant Pond. Providing
passage at all four non-hydropower
dams will result in the restoration of
28 river miles of habitat for
anadromous fish. This restoration
effort will also restore habitat for
Atlantic salmon, blueback herring,
striped bass, and American eel.
Partners:
USFWS Coastal Program and
Maine Anadromous Fish Program,
Natural Resources Conservation
Service, Maine Department of
Marine Resources, American Rivers,
Town of Stetson
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gulf
of Maine Program, 4R Fundy Road,
Falmouth, ME 04105
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 31
Region 5
Pleasant Lake, Maine
Pleasant Pond dam before fish
passage was provided
Fish ladder installed at Pleasant
Pond dam
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$20,000
$70,000
Project Description:
The East Machias Dam, located near
head-of-tide on one of Maine’s eight
“wild” salmon rivers, was
constructed in 1926 to produce
power. The dam has not produced
power since the late 1950’s, and in
the late 1960’s, the Town of East
Machias purchased the dam and
associated lands. The dam was
breached in 1973 but remained a
community eyesore and safety
hazard for local residents. In
addition, the dam was only passable
by fish at high water. The waters
immediately downstream of the dam
served as a holding pen for adult
Atlantic salmon and other searun
fish waiting to move upstream,
providing harbor seals and
cormorants with easy feeding
opportunities. Moreover, the dam
required annual maintenance to
clear away debris jams and maintain
access for migrating fish.
Project Methods:
In the summer of 2000, dam removal
provided free passage during all
water levels, minimized predation by
harbor seals and cormorants, and
eliminated the need for annual
maintenance.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Searun fish, including Atlantic
salmon, alewives, shad, blueback
herring and rainbow smelt, were
provided access to 296 river miles
from the removal of East Machias
Dam.
Partners:
U.S. Air Force, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, USFWS
Coastal Program, Maine
Anadromous Fish Program and
Maine Field Office, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, Maine Atlantic Salmon
Commission, Maine Department of
Marine Resources, Maine
Department of Transportation, Town
of East Machias, Trout Unlimited,
Atlantic Salmon Federation,
Downeast Salmon Federation
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gulf
of Maine Program, 4R Fundy Rd.,
Falmouth, ME 04105
32 National Fish Passage Program
Region 5
East Machias River, Maine
East Machias dam before removal
(see road bridge behind dam)
East Machias dam after removal
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$20,000
$280,000
Project Description:
Good Hope Dam stood 6 feet high
and 300 feet in length. The dam and
impoundment no longer served a
functional purpose, was in an
advanced state of disrepair, and had
no identifiable owner. It was the first
blockage to migratory fishes
entering Conodoguinet Creek.
Removing the dam was a high profile
project, with numerous partners and
objectives. In addition to removal,
the project includes a comprehensive
riparian restoration component and
monitoring of chemical, physical, and
biological conditions, pre- and post-dam
removal.
Project Methods:
The dam was removed in November
2001, opening 22 miles of riverine
habitat. Considerable habitat
improvement work has also been
conducted by the Conodoguinet
Creek Watershed Association.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Additional spawning and rearing
habitat has been provided for shad,
herring, alewife, and other resident
fish species. The project also
restored a significant reach of free
flowing river and laid the
groundwork for returning its
ecological function, while eliminating
a serious public safety hazard.
Partners:
Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection,
American Rivers, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission, Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources, Chesapeake Bay
Program, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, National Marine
Fisheries Service, U.S. Geological
Survey, County Conservation
District, FishAmerica Foundation,
and the Conodoguinet Creek
Watershed Association.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Susquehanna River Coordinator,
1721 North Front Street Suite 105,
Harrisburg, PA 171102
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 33
Region 5
Good Hope Dam, Pennsylvania
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$10,000
$390,000
Good Hope dam before removal Dam removal
Good Hope dam after removal
Morgan Elmer – Fish Passage
Program Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
134 Union Boulevard
Lakewood, CO 80228
The Fish and Wildlife Management
Assistance Offices throughout the
Mountain-Prairie Region support
tribal fisheries and wildlife
management programs, endangered
species recovery, control of invasive
aquatic species, and fish passage for
native species, such as cutthroat
trout, bull trout, and pallid sturgeon.
Since 1999, the Fish Passage
Program in Region 6 has initiated 8
projects that improved fish passage,
primarily at irrigation diversion
sites. These projects have directly
improved passage to 877 miles of
riverine habitat.
In 2002, new cost-share funding
opportunities are available through
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
for voluntary fish screening and
passage projects associated with
water diversions in western
Montana. Fish screens placed at
entrances to water diversions can
prevent juvenile fish from swimming
into irrigation canals, thereby
decreasing mortality for these and
other native fishes.
These partners contributed funds
and cooperative efforts toward
accomplishments in restoring fish
passage in Region 6. Their
contributions are gratefully
acknowledged.
■ U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
■ USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service
■ U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
■ USFWS – Partners for Fish and
Wildlife Program
■ Crow Indian Nation Fish and
Wildlife Department, MT
■ Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River
Reservation, WY
■ Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind River
Reservation, WY
■ Montana Department of Fish,
Wildlife and Parks
■ Wyoming Game and Fish
Department
■ Arctic Grayling Recovery
Program, MT
■ Snake River Conservation
District, MT
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 35
Region 6 – Mountain-Prairie
National Fish Passage Program projects in USFWS Region 6, 1999-2001
State Project Title Project Type Year Funded
MT Soap Creek Irrigation Diversion Improvement 1999
MT Big Hole River Irrigation Diversion Improvement 1999
MT Elk Springs Creek Culvert Renovation 2000
WY Battle Creek Irrigation Diversion Improvement 2001
MT Upper Columbia River Survey 2001
Basin Survey
MT Yellowstone River Irrigation Diversion Improvement 2001
(Huntley Project)*
WY Mill Creek – Norwood* Irrigation Diversion Improvement 2001
WY Mill Creek – Chavis Grade Control 2001
Drop (#1 and #2)
* Highlighted on the following pages.
Location of Fish Passage Program
projects in Region 6, 1999-2001
Project Description:
Huntley Diversion Dam is a concrete
irrigation structure on the
Yellowstone River, downstream from
Billings, MT. It is over 9 feet high
and creates a complete barrier to
upstream fish movement except
during high flows, when a bypass
channel flows around the dam. The
dam suffered structural damage
after the last flood on the
Yellowstone and required major
repairs. As part of the permitting
process to reconstruct the dam,
enhanced fish passage was included
in the project.
Project Methods:
The passage, which provides access
to over 100 miles of river habitat, is a
roughened channel around the north
end of the dam. It has large exposed
boulders strategically placed to
create the proper gradient and an
attractive flow to guide fish from the
downstream end, up through 13
drops of the fishway, to above the
diversion dam.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Native species benefitted include
shovelnose sturgeon, pallid sturgeon,
paddlefish, sauger and native
cyprinids.
Partners:
Montana Department of Fish,
Wildlife and Parks and U.S. Bureau
of Reclamation.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Montana Fish and Wildlife
Management Assistance Office, 4052
Bridger Canyon Road, Bozeman,
MT 59715
36 National Fish Passage Program
Region 6
Yellowstone River (Huntley Project),
Montana
Huntley irrigation diversion dam
on the Yellowstone River
Fish passage channel around the
Huntley dam
Fish passage channel, looking
downstream
Project Description:
In the spring of 2000, an aerial
survey was conducted on Mill Creek.
Nine fish passage barriers were
identified within a 20 mile reach of
stream, including three diversion
structures and six drop structures.
All of the structures spanned the
entire width of the stream.
Project Methods:
Two drop structures and one major
irrigation diversion (shown here)
were replaced with natural rock
structures.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
This project opened 15 stream miles
and 25 acres of historic spawning
and rearing habitat for native
cutthroat trout, sauger, burbot and
mountain whitefish and non-native
brown trout. A by-product is a more
natural looking stream with
enhanced aesthetic qualities.
Partners:
USDA-National Resource
Conservation Service, U.S. Bureau
of Indian Affairs, and the Shosone
and Arapahoe Tribes of the Wind
River Reservation.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Lander Fish and Wildlife
Management Assistance Office,
170 North First Street, Lander,
WY 82520
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 37
Region 6
Mill Creek, Wyoming
Norwood structure on Mill Creek, before (left) and after (right) renovation
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$40,000
$40,000
Michael Roy – Fish Passage
Program Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1011 East Tudor Road
Anchorage, AK 99503
Salmon are fundamental to Alaska’s
economy, and its social and ecological
vitality. Salmon produced in Alaskan
rivers support recreational and
commercial fisheries valued at
hundreds of millions of dollars
annually, and are central to
subsistence lifestyles. Salmon also
play keystone ecological roles by
transporting nutrients from marine
to freshwater ecosystems,
contributing to the productivity of
rivers, lakes, wetland, and forests.
Habitat loss, overexploitation, and
introduction of non-native species
pose well-known threats to Alaska’s
salmon populations. Lesser-known,
but equally important threats to
healthy salmon runs are artificial
barriers that block fish from
essential freshwater habitats.
Recent surveys have demonstrated
that thousands of culverts,
underlying major highways, city
streets and forest trails, block fish.
Multiple barriers on a single
watershed contribute to decreased
escapements and reductions in
angling and subsistence
opportunities. The Fish Passage
Program is an important cooperative
effort to correct fish passage
problems.
Since 1999, the Fish Passage
Program and its partners have
removed 15 barriers to anadromous
fish, opening more than 200 stream
miles to salmon, trout, grayling and
other species. Most projects have
replaced poorly designed or
undersized culverts with larger
structures that allow movement of
both adult and juvenile fish.
These partners contributed funds
and cooperative efforts toward
accomplishments in restoring fish
passage in Region 7. Their
contributions are gratefully
acknowledged.
■ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
■ National Marine Fisheries
Service
■ Bureau of Land Management
■ USFWS – Partners for Fish and
Wildlife and Coastal Programs
■ Alaska Department of Fish and
Game
■ Alaska Department of Natural
Resources
■ Alaska Department of
Transportation
■ Fairbanks Soil and Water
Conservation District
■ City of North Pole
■ Matanuska-Susitna Borough
■ Fairbanks North Star Borough
■ Airway Road Service District
■ University of Alaska, Fairbanks
■ Yukon River Drainage Fisheries
Association
■ Chena-Badger Slough Citizen’s
Advisory Group,
■ Dillingham Middle School
■ Meadow Lakes School
■ Trout Unlimited
■ Williams Petroleum
■ Alyeska Pipeline Service
Company
■ Sandstrom and Sons, Inc.
■ Koncor Forest Products
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 39
Region 7 – Alaska
National Fish Passage Program projects in USFWS Region 7 (Alaska), 1999-2001
Project Title Project Type Year Funded
Matanuska-Susitna Valley Barrier Inventory 2000
Culvert Survey*
Bodenburg Creek Culvert Renovation 2000
Kenai Peninsula Culvert Survey Barrier Inventory 2000
Chester Creek Fish Ladder and Culvert 2000
Squaw Creek* Culvert Renovation 2001
Orchid Lake Culvert Renovation 2001
Duck Creek Culvert Renovation 2001
Miller Creek Culvert Renovation 2001
Beaver Creek Culvert Renovation 2001
Two Moose Creek Culvert Renovation 2001
Cottonwood Creek Culvert Renovation 2001
Crooked Lake Culvert Renovation 2001
Cloudy Lake Culvert Renovation 2001
Chatanika River* Dam Removal 2001
Chena-Badger Slough* Culvert Renovation 2001
* Highlighted on the following pages.
Locations of Fish Passage Program
projects in Region 7, 1999-2001
Project Description and Methods:
The Matanuska-Susitna Valley is one
of Alaska’s fastest growing
residential areas. The USFWS and
the Alaska Department of Fish and
Game inventoried 173 structures on
secondary roads in several area
watersheds. Final analysis is still
underway, but initial reviews suggest
that close to 90% of the culverts do
not allow passage of anadromous fish
at some life stage.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Data from this survey will be
incorporated into the USFWS Fish
Passage Decision Support System
(see Introduction Section), which will
allow resource managers to plan and
prioritize fish passage problems.
Results of the survey have led to
greatly increased interest in fish
passage restoration by the
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
(County) government.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Regional Fish Passage Coord., 1101
East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK
99503
40 National Fish Passage Program
Region 7
Matanuska-Susitna Valley
Culvert Survey, Alaska
Watershed barrier inventory in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, AK
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$14,500
$37,300
Project Description and Method:
Culverts installed in the 1970’s on
Squaw Creek are undersized for the
currentflow conditions and too short
for present road dimensions. The
poor design of the culverts eroded
stream bed materials, creating a
“perched” culvert that was a barrier
to fish migrations during low flow
periods. This project replaced two
improperly installed culverts with
properly designed and placed
culverts, and stabilized the side
slopes of the road to minimize
erosion. A monitoring program,
involving several partners, has also
been developed to assess before and
after conditions
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
After a third culvert is replaced in
2002, the project will open more
than10 stream miles for adult salmon
to access historical spawning
grounds, for juveniles to out-migrate,
and for other resident fish
to use for spawning, rearing and
growth.
Partners:
Alaska Department of Fish and
Game, Dillingham Middle School,
the City of Dillingham, and private
landowners.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, P.O.
Box 270, Dillingham, AK 99576
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 41
Region 7
Squaw Creek, Alaska
Culvert on Squaw Creek, before (left) and after (right) renovation
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$26,000
$127,200
Project Description:
In place for over 75 years, the
abandoned Fairbanks Exploration
Dam on the Chatanika River, a
tributary of the Yukon River, blocks
fish from historic spawning and
rearing habitat in the upper reaches
of the Chatanika River. This was the
first dam removed in Alaska solely
for the purpose of fisheries
conservation.
Project Methods:
In January 2002, when fragile
riparian areas were frozen,
contractors removed the dam.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
Chinook and chum salmon, Arctic
grayling, and resident fish species
were provided access to over 100
miles of historic spawning and
rearing habitat.
Partners:
This project has been a cooperative
venture with Alaska Department of
Fish and Game, National Marine
Fisheries Service, the Yukon River
Drainage Fisheries Association,
Bureau of Land Management,
Sandstrom and Sons, Inc., and the
private landowner.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Fairbanks Fishery Resources Office,
101 12th Avenue, Box 17, Room 222,
Fairbanks, AK 99701
42 National Fish Passage Program
Region 7
Chatanika Dam, Alaska
Chatanika dam before removal
After dam removal
Removal of Chatanika dam
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$0
$100,000
Project Description and Methods:
This project had been identified in
the recovery plan for Arctic grayling
and salmon and was considered a
high priority for all involved
partners. Three culverts at Airway
Drive of Chena-Badger Slough were
removed and replaced with a single
bridge.
Project Outcomes (Benefits):
The project restored passage to 5
miles of historic chinook and chum
salmon and arctic grayling spawning
and rearing habitat.
Partners:
USFWS-Northern Alaska
Ecological Services, the City of
North Pole, Fairbanks Soil and
Water Conservation District,
Fairbanks North Star Borough,
Chena-Badger Slough Citizen’s
Advisory Group, Army Corps of
Engineers, Alaska Department of
Transportation and Public Utilities,
Airway Road Service District,
Alaska Department of Natural
Resources, Alaska Department of
Fish and Game, University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Williams Alaska
Petroleum, Koncor Forest Products,
and Alyeska Pipeline Service
Company.
For more information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Fairbanks Fishery Resources Office,
101 12th Avenue, Box 17, Room 222,
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Program Accomplishments 1999-2001 43
Region 7
Chena-Badger Slough, Alaska
Culvert at Chena-Badger Slough before (left) and after (right) renovation
Project Funding
■ FWS Fish Passage ■ Partners
$38,000
$52,000
The National Fish Passage Program
has been effective in addressing
many fish passage problems, but the
existing needs far exceed these
accomplishments. In 2001, the
Service and its partners identified
196 fish passage projects, including
436 barriers, at an estimated cost of
$44 million to complete (Fisheries
Operational Needs System 2001).
These are voluntary projects with
willing partners and include dam
removal or breaching, dike
modification, installation of bypass
structures such as fish ladders and
screens, culvert renovation, flow
modification, engineering design,
and evaluation studies. Passage at
these barriers would provide access
to 5,983 miles and 142,830 acres of
historical spawning, rearing, and
feeding habitats. The Service and its
partners will complete these projects
as funding becomes available. It is
estimated that thousands of
additional barriers await
identification and remedial action.
The National Fish Passage Program
is looking for partners. The Program
depends on good will and solid
working relationships with
community-minded organizations,
agencies and individuals to conduct
fish passage projects. Project
proposals may be initiated by any
individual, organization, or agency, in
cooperation with the Service’s Fish
and Wildlife Management
Assistance Offices. Project proposals
must be provided to the local Fish
and Wildlife Management
Assistance Office by August of each
year.
The following information is
requested with all project proposals:
title; associated management plans;
partners; requested funds and
matching contributions; and a
project description. The project
description should briefly identify
the need, problem, objective,
methods, and include the waterbody,
location, river miles or acres opened
up, and the species affected and how
they will benefit.
Projects are reviewed and
prioritized on a Regional basis.
Funding is administered through the
Fish and Wildlife Service office that
is coordinating the project. The
Program has flexibility from project
to project, but strives to achieve a
50% funding match, including in-kind
contributions.
Projects that receive the highest
consideration will be those that show
the greatest ecological benefits;
exhibit permanence of fish passage
benefits; make use of the most
current scientific knowledge and
proven technology; evidence the
greatest public support; and
generate the maximum in matching
contributions.
Collaborative partnerships are also
needed to expand the Fish Passage
Decision Support System. Access is
needed to other federal, state, or
local databases that have barrier,
fish, and habitat information.
For Additional Information
Contact the appropriate Regional
Coordinator or your nearest
Fish and Wildlife Management
Assistance Office. A directory of
offices is available on our web site
at http://fisheries.fws.gov/fwsma/
mafro.htm.
For more information on the
National Fish Passage Program,
visit the Program web site at:
http://fisheries.fws.gov/fwsma/
fishpassage.
44 National Fish Passage Program
Needs and
Opportunities
Information for
Potential Partners
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov
May 2003