Barriers to fish passage -- in the form of road culverts, dams, dikes, and other obstructions -- reduce the distribution and habitat available to fish, including salmon and steelhead. WDFW is working to correct these barriers throughout the state.
Learn more about fish passage
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Restoring fish passage
WDFW partners with others to locate, prioritize, and fund fish passage barrier repairs across Washington State.
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Fish screening and irrigation diversions
To protect fish, Washington requires fish screens on all water diversions and pumps when water is diverted for agricultural use.
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Designing climate-change-resilient culverts and bridges
WDFW will help you account for the impacts of climate change on streams, to avoid project failure and fish blockage.
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Fish passage training
WDFW offers free training on assessing fish passage barriers and surface water diversion screening.
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Inventory, assessment, and prioritization
WDFW can help you identify barrier projects to effectively restore fish access to spawning and rearing habitat.
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Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board
This board and grant program identify and remove barriers to salmon and steelhead migration.
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Family Forest Fish Passage Program
This program is available to small forest landowners and provides funding to replace or remove culverts on private forest lands that block salmon and trout from migrating upstream.
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Chehalis Basin fish passage barriers
Find out which fish passage barriers should be removed first in the Chehalis Basin.
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Fish passage rule-making
WDFW is reviewing RCW Chapter 77.57 to implement new rules surrounding fish passage and screening improvement work.