Fish Passage Workgroup
Scope and Purpose
The members of the Fish Passage Workgroup are dedicated to the restoration of creek, stream and river habitats in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Dams and other obstructions block the natural migration of fish to their historic spawning habitats. By removing physical obstacles, key species like American shad and herring are able to return to their spawning grounds, as well as increasing available habitat for resident fish. The Workgroup promotes projects involving the removal of dams or the creation of fishways when dam removal is not feasible. Whenever possible, projects are integrated with local watershed management or restoration plans. To date, the Fish Passage Workgroup has worked to open over 2,000 miles of streams and rivers for the passage of fish in the Bay watershed.
Projects and Resources
Recommendations for Aquatic Organism Passage at Maryland Road-Stream Crossings
The Habitat Goal Implementation Team funded the Fish Passage Workgroup to develop a set of recommendations for fish and aquatic organism passage at new and replacement road-stream crossings in Maryland. This document is the product of discussions, stakeholder meetings and several rounds of edits by state, federal and non-governmental partners. Coastal Resources, Inc. completed a literature and gray literature review and coordinated the writing of the document. It is intended to be a living document that can be updated as the Fish Passage Workgroup and partners learn more about implementing road-stream crossing projects to allow fish and aquatic organism passage in Maryland. It can also be used as a template to guide the development of similar documents in other Chesapeake Bay states.
Publications
-
2021 Fish Passage LAP
2021 Fish Passage LAP
-
2021 Fish Passage Presentation
2021 Fish Passage Presentation
-
2021 Fish Passage Narrative Analysis
2021 Fish Passage Narrative Analysis