Barriers to Tidal Connectivity Symposium draws hundreds of participants

Barriers to tidal connectivity are of major concern to the three Fish Habitat Partnerships (FHPs) that work to improve, restore and conserve fish habitats along the US West Coast. The negative impacts of these barriers include (but are not limited to) impeding fish passage,  sediment processes interference,  water quality degradation, and alterations of the array of fish habitats within estuaries. The Pacific Marine and Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership (PMEP), the California Fish Passage Forum (CFPF), and the Pacific Lamprey Conservation Initiative (PLCI) are collaborating on a project to identify science and data gaps associated with barriers along the coast, and to identify actions they can take individually and collaboratively to drive lasting solutions to the negative impacts of these barriers on fish and fish habitats.

With generous funding from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the collaborating FHPs recently held a Barriers to Tidal Connectivity Symposium. The one-day symposium brought together experts in the field to explore:

• History of tidal barriers in the US West Coast
• Functional impacts of barriers to tidal connectivity
• Fish passage needs
• Tidegate effectiveness
• Climate change and tidal barriers
• Tidal barrier datasets

More than 300 people attended the Symposium.

You can find more information about the Symposium, including the agenda, recorded presentations and the list of speakers HERE.

PMEP Funds Five New Projects in 2020

PMEP is pleased to announce the following projects have been selected for funding through the National Fish Habitat Partnership.  These projects represent important conservation priorities of PMEP.  $192,817 has been awarded to the partnership through the Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the following five projects:

  • Seestrom Tidelands Restoration Project
  • Columbia-Pacific Passage, Hungry Harbor Restoration
  • Neskowin Fish Passage Improvement Project
  • Enhancement of Olympia oysters to provide heterogeneous habitat for fish and invertebrates
  • A regional scale assessment of fish habitat along the nearshore of greater Puget Sound

Read more about these and other PMEP funded project here.

PMEP Projects Named to National Fish Habitat Program 2019 Waters to Watch List

The National Fish Habitat Partnership has unveiled its list of “Waters to Watch” for 2019.  This annual list represents a collection of strategic conservation efforts implemented on rivers, streams, estuaries, and lakes to protect, restore, or enhance fish habitat. These voluntary, locally-driven projects represent some of the top conservation activities in progress implemented by 20 regional Fish Habitat Partnerships throughout the country.

Two projects funded by the Pacific Marine and Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership (PMEP) made the list this year:

Sullivan Gulch Bottomland Restoration restored fish passage and winter rearing habitat for coho salmon and other native fish on 31 acres of the Sixes River estuarine floodplain at Oregon’s Cape Blanco State Park. Coho are listed as Threatened in the Sixes River watershed, and winter rearing habitat is the primary limiting factor to their recovery. The project also restored wetland habitat for shore birds and amphibians; enhanced habitat for migratory songbirds, small mammals, and elk; and improved livestock management on pasture leased to a local ranching family who raise cattle and sheep.

Columbia-Pacific Passage Habitat Restoration at Megler Creek restored off-channel foraging and rearing opportunities for juvenile salmon in the Columbia River estuary. The project is the second phase of a multi-phase effort involving three separate tributaries to the Columbia River estuary. The three sites are located within five miles of each other on the Columbia River shoreline in southwest Washington.

PMEP provides funding for fish habitat restoration and protection projects annually. Watch for the Request for Proposal for 2020 funding in fall 2019.

The 2019 “Waters to Watch” list and associated Fish Habitat Partnerships:

  1. Alexander Creek, AK – Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership
  2. Amargo Creek, NM – Desert Fish Habitat Partnership
  3. Coal Creek, WY – Western Native Trout Initiative
  4. Crews Creek, GA – Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership
  5. Elephant Butte Reservoir, NM – Reservoir Fish Habitat Partnership
  6. Megler Creek, WA – Pacific Marine and Estuarine Partnership
  7. Spasski River and Hoonah Native Forest Partnership, AK – SE Alaska Fish Habitat Partnership
  8. Sullivan Gulch, OR – Pacific Marine and Estuarine Partnership
  9. Tainter Creek, WI – Fishers and Farmers Partnership/Driftless Area Restoration Effort
  10. Upper Green Valley Creek, CA – California Fish Passage Forum