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What information should be gathered prior to fish passage barrier removal?
Before removing a suspected fish passage barrier, restoration practitioners should fully verify and document all potential barriers (both natural and constructed) on streams with potentially important salmonid habitat. Suitable fish habitat should then be documented in relation to natural and constructed barriers, to help prioritize allocation of resources for barrier removal efforts. Particular emphasis should be given to constructed barriers that obstruct access to large amounts of suitable habitat.
Sediment stored behind a barrier can influence access even after the barrier is removed, by potentially blocking upstream passage until the wedge of stored sediment is mobilized by flows. Mobilization of stored sediment can affect downstream habitats for many years. When deciding whether to remove a barrier, how to remove a barrier, or evaluating potential phasing strategies in lieu of barrier removal, consideration should be given to the amount of sediment stored behind the barrier and its potential effects on upstream passage and downstream habitats.
To learn more about Stillwater Sciences’ focused study of fish passage barriers in the Napa River watershed, see Section 6.4.1 of the Napa River Basin Limiting Factors Analysis.
Fish Passage Barrier Removal
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