2022-2026 ACTION AGENDA EXPLORER
STRATEGY 6
Fish Passage Barriers
Address fish passage barriers and reopen salmon habitat by accelerating strategic planning and sequenced implementation of projects.
The ability of salmon and steelhead to swim upstream to their freshwater spawning grounds is vital to their recovery across Washington. Deteriorating culverts, outdated bridges and dams, and other barriers block fish passage and undermine the state’s recovery efforts. When these barriers are fixed or removed, the fish often return and use those previously inaccessible habitats. Over recent decades, numerous fish passage barriers have been fixed, but many remain.
Fish passage barriers are found on lands owned and managed by government or private entities. As a result, public agencies, private landowners, local, state, tribal, and federal governments, and non-profit community groups must work together to locate fish passage barriers and identify the highest priority projects to ensure that limited funds are well-spent. A variety of types of funds support fish passage barrier and habitat restoration work, but more is needed.
Implementing the Chinook and other Implementation Strategies supports the success of this strategy.
Fish passage barriers are found on lands owned and managed by government or private entities. As a result, public agencies, private landowners, local, state, tribal, and federal governments, and non-profit community groups must work together to locate fish passage barriers and identify the highest priority projects to ensure that limited funds are well-spent. A variety of types of funds support fish passage barrier and habitat restoration work, but more is needed.
Implementing the Chinook and other Implementation Strategies supports the success of this strategy.
Actions
Prepare and implement strategies to reestablish runs above existing dams and optimize management of dams for salmon. (ID #23)
Key opportunities for 2022-2026 include:
- Reach an agreement with United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Tacoma Public Utilities on timely construction and adaptive management of the Howard Hanson Dam juvenile fish passage, and ensure that recent federal funding commitments fully fund this project;
- Implement adaptive management of the new adult trap at the Buckley diversion dam;
- Coordinate planning, design, and adaptive management for Capitol Lake and Deschutes Estuary to improve salmon habitat, migration, and spawning;
- Convene partners to identify barriers and discuss dam removal benefits for fish and ecosystem functions, adaptive management provisions in dam management and operating plans (including those identified in local salmon recovery plans) to meet instream flow goals, and actions that support fish passage, survival, and reintroduction (including restoring downstream channel processes and moderating water temperature) at the Snake River Dams for the benefit of Southern Resident Orca, and support efforts considering removal of the lower Snake River dams and the planning necessary to replace or mitigate for lost benefits of the dams;
- Consider dam management or removal benefits in coordination with other upstream or downstream habitat restoration benefits and opportunities.
Inventory and assess all fish passage barriers (culverts, dams, etc.). Prioritize, sequence, and implement fish passage barrier correction or removal in watersheds. (ID #152)
Key opportunities for 2022-2026 include:
- Identify opportunities to remove outdated dams or dams that have consistently failed to comply with environmental regulations;
- Consider strategic and varied approaches for private and public culvert removal;
- Streamline funding opportunities for private culverts and barrier removal;
- Support utilization of adaptive management of existing guidelines, coding, and laws in place;
- Integrate stormwater data to support salmon health;
- Include stormwater and climate change priorities in transportation plans;
- Support landowners to address railroad barriers (for example, BNSF and neighboring landowners);
- Address flood safety regulation and permit obstacles;
- Improve migration pathways around dams;
- Fulfill the state’s obligation to replace fish passage culverts;
- Support Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) compilation and development of statewide strategies, in collaboration with tribal nations, other agencies, and local partners, including prioritization and sequencing of barriers;
- Implement the restoration permit streamlining pilot program authorized under ESSHB 1382;
- Monitor and evaluate responses to fish passage barrier actions and improve data and research to support ongoing monitoring and evaluation;
- Include fish passage, stormwater and climate change priorities in transportation plans.
Implementation Considerations
Key opportunities for 2022-2026 to integrate human wellbeing considerations and climate change responses into efforts include:
Human Wellbeing
- Consider opportunities to bring jobs and economic benefits to communities through culvert, bridge, dam removal improvements, and subsequent habitat restoration work.
- Expand inclusion of vulnerable populations and underserved communities in governance and decision- making about how and where we protect and restore fish passages and stream access.
- Use information relevant to culturally significant areas when setting priorities for acquisition, protection, and restoration, where recommended by tribal nations.
- Include information about the benefits of fish passage barrier removal in salmon and salmon habitat preK-16 education.
- Seek opportunities to address fish passage as a part of other important infrastructure upgrades such as flood prevention, road improvements, and recreational access improvements.
Climate Change
- Incorporate climate impacts and future flow potentials into culvert and bridge improvement planning, sequencing, and design.
- Factor climate information into strategies designed to re-establish salmon runs above existing dams.
Ongoing Programs
Ongoing programs provide regulatory oversight, technical support, implementation resources, funding, or guidance and serve as the critical foundation for Puget Sound recovery. The following is a list of example state and federal ongoing programs that help to implement this strategy. Many more local, tribal nations, and nongovernmental programs exist that support this strategy.
What We're Measuring
We achieve our recovery goal of thriving species and foodwebs in the Puget Sound region by removing or managing culverts, dams, and other infrastructure to ensure fish passage and functioning downstream habitat. The indicator of success is increasing the miles of streams opened to fish as a result of fish passage barrier removal.
Current Legislative Actions (2 Bills)
2024 | State Bill HB 2045
Status:
Passed
Passed
2024 | State Bill HB 2456
& SB 6237
Related Activity Types
Policy and Regulation Development
Institutional Capacity Building
Mobilizing Funding
Related Strategies
4 - Riparian Areas
5 - Floodplains & Estuaries
6 - Fish Passage Barriers
Status:
Did not pass
Did not pass