Fish Passage

The USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) provides world-class science to inform natural resource decisions on aquatic ecosystems, species populations and management, disease, and invasive species. Our scientific products represent critical contributions that enhance the ecological and economic sustainability of recreational and commercial fishing. In the United States, anglers contribute...

The USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) is rooted in a proud tradition of service to the nation—advancing science that informs the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, and habitats across the eastern United States and beyond. Our mission is clear: deliver reliable, partner-driven science that supports natural resource decisions today, while ensuring these resources remain...

Covering studies published October 2023 through September 2024

Rainbow trout are a desirable sport fish that have been introduced in many locations around the world, including the Colorado River. Although introductions of rainbow trout and other nonnative fishes provide recreational fishing opportunities, they can also pose threats to native fish populations. The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program has tasked scientists and managers with identifying...

There are more than 92,000 dams in the United States, of which at least 3% of these produce hydropower. Hydropower projects create renewable energy but also can alter habitats, restrict upstream and downstream movements of fishes and other aquatic organisms, and may stress, injure or kill migrant fishes and other aquatic organisms. In addition, there are more than 5 million culverts and other road...

The American eel ( Anguilla rostrata) migrates into freshwater in the juvenile (glass eel and elver) stage, feeds and grows in freshwater habitats, and migrates downstream to the ocean to spawn as an adult. Migrating eels frequently encounter barriers in river environments, primarily in the form of dams, that limit access of juveniles to upstream growth habitat, and can injure or kill adult...

Swimming ability determines how well fish are able to access habitat, and is a fundamental design consideration for passing fish at dams, road crossings, etc.

Dams can be found in just about every major river, and for good reason. Society has received many benefits like flood control, hydropower, water supply storage, and places to recreate. However, many fish and other life in our rivers can’t swim around these barriers. Often, the best spot for a fish to live and reproduce is out of reach because they can’t pass by a dam. This has not gone unnoticed...

High latitude ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to long-term climate change, yet continuous, multidecadal indicators by which to gauge effects on biology are scarce, especially in freshwater environments.

A major focus of USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center's S.O. Conte Research Laboratory in Turners Falls, MA is the design and evaluation of state-of the-art upstream and downstream fish passage structures for hydropower facilities of different sizes and locations and for different fish species, including endangered sturgeons and Atlantic salmon. Performance, physiology, behavior and energetics...

Recent discoveries of the extent of sturgeon movement in the Gulf of Maine combined with relicensing and water use issues in the Connecticut River demand closer evaluation of shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon migration and behavior patterns.

Engineering has an important role to play in the conservation of migratory fish species. As a result of anthropogenic development on river systems, full and partial barriers to fish movement commonly exist in watersheds worldwide. There is an estimated 2.5 million barriers to fish migration in the United States alone. These barriers typically consist of small to large size dams, culverts, and...