The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife offers fish passage services to landowners and organizations planning restoration projects. We can help you identify projects to restore access to salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat.
Inventory
The department can help landowners and organizations find fish passage barriers in streams across Washington. We locate culverts, dams, and fishways that may be barriers to upstream spawning and rearing habitat.
Assessment
We can also assess potential fish passage barriers to determine their impact on fish migration. Knowing which project could have the greatest benefit for fish passage is valuable to habitat restoration planning efforts. The Fish Passage Inventory, Assessment, and Prioritization Manual provides guidance for barrier assessments.
Statewide fish passage prioritization strategy
WDFW kicked off an effort in summer 2023 to develop a comprehensive statewide strategy outlining an approach to prioritize the removal of small-scale barriers that prevent salmon and steelhead from swimming upstream.
Training opportunities
The department provides free training on protocols detailed in the Fish Passage Inventory, Assessment, and Prioritization Manual. Learn more about fish passage training.
Fish passage data
WDFW maintains a centralized database of fish passage, diversion screening, fish use, and habitat data in Washington State. The Fish Passage Web App can help you effectively plan barrier correction projects.
Contact
Barrier inventory, assessment, and prioritization
Tim Young, Inventory Section Manager
360-628-3860
Timothy.Young@dfw.wa.gov
Fish passage training
Samuel Harris, Fish Passage Training Program Coordinator
360-280-4129
FishPassageTraining@dfw.wa.gov