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FISH PASSAGE RESTORATION
In 2017, California replaced a fish-blocking road crossing on Upper Green Valley Creek; surveys later found 136 young steelhead upstream of the former barrierIn 2017, engineers undertook a significant project to replace an old culvert that hindered fish migration in Upper Green Valley Creek. The ...
Wyoming reopened a blocked stream and cut non-native brook trout by 97%; native Snake River cutthroat trout then jumped more than 14-fold in just 3 yearsIn Wyoming, a stream known as Game Creek has observed an increase in native Snake River cutthroat trout. After a culvert blocking fish move...
Washington used 1 pneumatic fish cannon to solve salmon passage past a 60m hydroelectric dam; the result transformed blocked rivers into thriving spawning groundsWashington used 1 pneumatic fish cannon to solve salmon passage past a 60m hydroelectric dam, using a pneumatic tube system to move migrati...
In 2014, Massachusetts' JRWA began work to remove a dam sitting 10 feet below the Elm Street Bridge. 5 years later, the Jones River was freed for alewife, eels and trout once againElm Street project was also part of a broader sequence of restoration work on the Jones River. A previous obstacle, the Wapping Road Dam, h...
In 2006, Hawai‘i listed Waipā Stream, after dense hau bush trapped sediment and blocked fish. Today, restoration cut average turbidity by 62% and restored native fish passageWaipā Stream restoration efforts significantly improved water quality and aquatic habitats. Invasive hau bush removal and feral pig control...
In 2023, Connecticut removed Strong Pond Dam after 20 years of planning. 3 years later, 10 upstream miles are open to fish, reconnecting 20 miles of habitat for wildlifeThe removal of Strong Pond Dam in Wilton, Connecticut, marks a significant achievement in river restoration. This initiative has revitalize...
In 1996, Idaho listed Fish Creek for sediment after erosion damaged aquatic habitat. 22 years later, restoration helped it earn the maximum 3.0 score for cold-water lifeFish Creek in Idaho was listed as impaired for sedimentation in 1996. Collaborative efforts by various stakeholders improved road surfaces ...
In 2020, American Rivers removed the Middle Fork Nooksack dam after 50 years of blocking fish in Washington. 2 years later, the river reopened 16 miles of habitat for Chinook salmon and troutMiddle Fork Nooksack salmon habitat: A dam built in 1961 was removed in 2020, restoring river access. This action reopened sixteen miles of...
In 2021, Washington's Skagit River System Cooperative installed an 80-foot bridge over the Lucas channel. 5 years later, the project has helped reconnect fish habitat across the floodplainA restoration project in Washington’s Barnaby Reach has focused on improving floodplain connectivity and fish passage by removing infrastru...
In 2022, Alaska began replacing a fish-blocking culvert with a 100-foot bridge at Little Tonsina River with a $1.3 million budget. 1 year later, 70.4 miles of salmon habitat were reopened to fish safelyA flood-damaged culvert along Alaska’s Little Tonsina River long prevented salmon from swimming upstream. In July 2022, crews began replaci...
Lake 223 acid rain experiment: Scientists added sulfuric acid to an Ontario lake for 17 years. The water recovered, but the fish didn’tA 17-year acid rain experiment at Canada’s Lake 223 changed its water chemistry and disrupted its ecosystem. Although the lake’s acidity ha...
Maryland spent $12 million on a fish lift in 1991 to move American shad past Conowingo Dam; decades later, annual runs remained far below the 2 million-fish targetMaryland invested $12 million in a fish lift to help migrating shad overcome the Conowingo Dam. This technological solution proved ineffect...
In 2012, Cleveland Metroparks surveyed Beecher’s Brook after Ohio listed the Chagrin River as impaired, then restored 350 feet. 8 years later, fish scores improved againBeecher's Brook restoration project removed a fish passage barrier and enhanced habitat. This work led to marked improvements in fish and m...
In 1918–1921, one dam built on California's Carmel River provided water storage but blocked fish runs; in 2015 it came down, reopening 25 miles of habitat for steelhead troutA century-old dam on California's Carmel River was removed, restoring fish spawning grounds. Crews rerouted the river and dismantled the st...
In 2021, New York assessed Cannonsville Reservoir as impaired after a 7-foot culvert blocked fish passage. 2 years later, the new culvert scored 0.88 for aquatic passageA culvert replacement project in Delaware County, New York, addressed stream-flow, erosion, sediment, and fish-passage problems along an un...
In 2016, NYSDEC and partners removed Shapp Pond Dam after 50 years of blocking migratory fish. 4 years later, restored habitat showed significant gains in stream health and wildlifeThe removal of the Shapp Pond Dam in Dutchess County, New York, helped restore aquatic connectivity and improve stream habitat along the Ea...
In 2018, New York's Cortland County funded 3 culvert and stream projects. 5 years later, all 3 sites improved from severe barriers to insignificant barriers for better fish passageCortland County projects fit into a broader New York effort to identify and address barriers to aquatic organism passage. New York's Depart...
Four dams built on the Klamath River between 1918 and 1966 made power, not water storage; in 2024, the last came down, reopening 420 miles of salmon habitatIn a groundbreaking initiative, four dams on the Klamath River spanning California and Oregon have been dismantled after a century of exist...
In 2014, Maine began developing a fish elevator to carry American shad past Milford Dam. 12 years later, the system could reopen 600 miles of river habitat to a fish whose migration has been blocked for decadesA Maine fish elevator could reopen 600 miles of river habitat for alewives, giving a small fish a much bigger chance to return upstream. Th...
In 1953, a concrete barrier blocked fish migration in Massachusetts. 70 years later, it’s finally being removed to bring the native trout backSoon, a concrete barrier currently obstructing fish migration in Fresh Brook will be dismantled. This ambitious restoration initiative seek...