27 June 2003

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and partners compile a fish-barrier database
By Ken Burton, From ENN

  A bulldozer removes remnants of the old Quaker Dam in the Neuse River Basin in North Carolina.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners have unveiled the first online national database of barriers to fish passage. Managers throughout the United States involved in resource planning and habitat restoration will use the inventory.

"This is a real benchmark for people involved in fisheries work and for anglers throughout our country," said Steve Williams, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. "There are thousands of small barriers that were built over the decades that either no longer serve a purpose or are badly in need of repair.  Removing or altering them can open thousands of miles of fish habitat. We're very proud to be a part of this effort."

The Service will spend $2.3 million this year to help reopen 837 miles of fish habitat and spawning grounds in 29 states, either removing or modifying small dams or other obstructions. Many of the small dams date to the beginnings of two revolutions — the American and the industrial — and long ago fell into disuse.  Some dams are not removed  but "notched" — cut with an access point — to allow fish passage. Dams that are still serving a function may be bypassed with the aid of a weir or fish ladder.

Gus Rassam, executive director of the American Fisheries Society, said the new database "will be something that all of us with an interest in healthy aquatic systems will find increasingly useful. Few things can have as large an impact as any program that will help reopen America's waterways."

The American Sportfishing Association is another organization that backs the program.  "Those of us at ASA are firmly behind it," said Mike Nussman, the organization's president and chief executive officer. "Improving fish passage is an important part of keeping our fish and waters healthy and giving anglers better experiences."

Known formally as the Fish Passage Decision Support System, the database is available online and provides barrier information such as location, type, size, name of the owner, passage capability, fish species affected, and local habitat information. It includes all barriers that prevent or inhibit fish or other aquatic species from reaching historic habitat or spawning grounds.

Carla Felming, the f ish passage program manager for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, said that her state is proud of the work done so far to remove barriers. "We hope to eventually see the benefits with a revival in various target species, including herring and shad," Fleming said. "Having access to this comprehensive database of barriers to fish passage will be a valuable tool for managers across the country."

"This system will also be a living database," said Dr. Mamie Parker, assistant director for Fisheries and Habitat Conservation. "With just a few clicks of the mouse, the user can quickly see what kind of stream mileage can be made available. There will be constant updates of information. It's a user-friendly system and one we are very excited about."

The Service's Fish Passage Program, initiated in 1999, works with federal, state, local, and civic agencies and organizations to restore fish and other aquatic species by reopening habitat that has become fragmented by artificial barriers. Partners in the Fish Passage Program contribute matching funds to the government's share.

"One of the most damaging things for fish and other aquatic systems are barriers that inundate habitat and block access from spawning grounds," said Elizabeth Maclin of American Rivers. "We're pleased to see the Fish and Wildlife Service and their partners pulling this database together. This program is already working well, and the database will enable it to work that much better."

The Fish Passage Decision Support System database currently includes the Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams, state dam databases from North Carolina and Tennessee, and a list of barriers compiled in the Pacific States Marine Fishery Commission's StreamNet database. Service biologists are also entering data from recent inventory projects. New data on dams, culverts, dikes, and irrigation diversions from a number of cooperating agencies and organizations will be added to the system on a continuing basis.

Ken Burton covers fisheries issues for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Washington, D.C. He is a frequent contributor to conservation and fisheries Internet news sites and to other publications.