## USDA Forest Service Update March 2014 SUBJECT: Aquatic Organism Passage

Issue: Unless properly designed and constructed, r oad

- stream crossings can hinder or obstruct the upstream movement of fish and other aquatic and riparian

- dependent organisms, while they may also be inadequate to pass high flows, flood events and debris and therefore sustain damage and failure

. Key Points:

• Re

- establishing aquatic organism passage (AOP) and prov iding adequate high flow passage is a key component of restoring ecological conditions by connecting fragmented habitats and protecting infrastructure investments. Passage is often a first step in restoring watershed condition, which benefits fish and othe r aquatic and riparian species.

• Stream Simulation Design is the preferred approach to ensuring unimpeded access for all life stages of aquatic organisms beneath road and trail infrastructure.

• Regional assessments indicate that over 40,000 road

- stream cross ings potentially block access for aquatic organisms and use of upstream habitat. Many forests are currently involved in comprehensive road

- stream crossing and trail

- stream crossing assessments for prioritization

. • National interest drives partnerships acros s other Federal, State and local agencies, Tribes and non

- profit groups. Partners include U

. S . Fish and Wildlife Service , NOAA Fisheries, State Departments of Environmental Quality or Departments of Conservation, State and County Departments of Transportat ion, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Trout Unlimited.

• Research and analyse s following large

- scale flood events across the country have verified the flood resiliency of the Stream Simulation Design approach and its cost

- effectiveness in protecting infrastr ucture , community
access and maintaining ecological connectivity.

• F orest S ervice (FS) is recognized as a national leader in road crossing techniques that ensure AOP , and the FS’s Stream Simulation Design approach is recognized as the standard for stream crossing designs.
Background: Efforts over the past 20 years have focused on adult sport fish. Assessments from the past decade confirm the ecological importance of providing passage to all native aquatic and riparian species dependent on movement through road

- stream crossings and for all life stages of those species, particularly to provide for robust communities and for resilience to climate change stresses. AOP at road

- stream crossings represents one of FS’ best examples of internal integration and quan tifiable, on

- the

- ground restoration with strong partner support. Funding & Accomplishments 1 : FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013

SAFETEA

- LU funding 2 $10,000 $10,000 est. $0 Legacy Roads and Trails funding 3 $90,000 $45,000 $45,000 Number of structures replaced for AOP 300 275 TBD Miles of aquatic habitat accessed

- HTAP 142 242 0 Miles of aquatic habitat accessed

- CMLG 215 179 119 Total miles of aquatic habitat restored 4 710 650 251

1 / Funding $ displayed in thousands

. 2 / Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act Legacy for Users (SAFETEA

- LU) with HTAP (Highway Trust Funds for Aquatic Passage) funding 4 / Total miles of aquatic habitat restored for AOP is accomplished through HTAP, CMLG and other budget l ine items not necessarily shown above
Contacts: Rob Harper , Director, Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Air and Rare Plants, 202

- 205

- 1671

. Nat Gillespie, Assistant National Fisheries Program Leader, 202

- 205

- 7827

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