Nation's Rivers see many dams removed
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were removed last year thanks to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
National Fish Passage Program. Working with numerous partners, the program
improves fish passage, local economies and public safety by ridding the
nation’s rivers of derelict dams that no longer serve a purpose.
“Free-flowing, healthy rivers and streams are vital to our nation. Many
species of fish, wildlife and plants depend on the natural ebb and flow of
rivers at critical stages of their lives,” said Service Director Dan Ashe.
“I’m pleased to report last year the Service and its partners reconnected
more than 2,500 miles of streams and 36,000 associated wetland acres,
providing opportunities for aquatic populations to increase and become more
resilient in the face of greater environmental pressures.”
Estimates show there are approximately 74,000 derelict dams and millions of
other manmade river impediments in the United States. These structures
impede upstream and downstream passage for native fish, destroy or
eliminate access to key spawning habitat, and degrade water quality by
preventing normal stream flow that cleanses river systems. In addition, if
aging dams fail, they can threaten human safety in downstream communities.
The Service’s FY 2012 National Fish Passage Program Annual Report
illustrates many collaborative accomplishments, from Alaska to the
southeast United States. Last year, projects were completed in more than
40 states in cooperation with approximately 300 partners across the nation.
Projects included fish passage barrier removals, engineering, planning and
partnership coordination, monitoring and evaluation, and barrier
inventories.
Across the country, the National Fish Passage Program has helped fish,
wildlife and people in numerous ways. Species benefited by fish passage
projects include native Yellowstone cutthroat trout, leopard darter,
Ouachita shiner, Rio Grande cutthroat trout, northern pike, American shad,
blueback herring, American eel, brook trout, Atlantic salmon, Dolly Varden
char, imperiled freshwater mussels, and even the Hawaiian freshwater
shrimp. Plants and other native wildlife also benefit from the program’s
efforts to restore free-flowing waters.
With 70 percent of funds applied to on-the-ground projects and leveraged at
a 3:1 ratio (nonfederal match to federal program funds), the National Fish
Passage Program’s modest investments are paying off. Since 1999, the
program has:
· Removed 1,345 fish passage barriers.
· Reopened access to 20,229 stream miles.
· Benefited more than 90 species of fish and freshwater mussels.
· Supported 219,195 jobs.
· Provided $11 billion in economic value to local communities.
The National Fish Passage Program also provides leadership and support in
the science of fish passage engineering and research, including a 2012
project at the Bozeman Fish Technology Center in Montana to study fish
swimming capabilities under varying conditions to guide the design of fish
passage projects. In addition, the program developed a Web-based
application known as GeoFIN (Fisheries Information Network), a
decision-support platform that helps biologists find and analyze data and
make informed and strategic choices about how and where to spend resources
to maximize benefits for priority aquatic species.
The FY 2012 report also outlines goals for FY 2013, including
identification of more than 350 “shovel-ready” fish passage projects and
strategies to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and others
to develop a long-term approach for dealing with aquatic resources and road
infrastructure resiliency in advance of flooding and other natural
disasters.
To view a copy of the report, visit:
http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/
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