Aquatic Organism Passage at Road-Stream Crossings

Alan Yamada, Program Leader

Kim Clarkin , Project Leader

February 10, 2003

Barrier Inventory Protocol. Status: draft being revised

We are working on revising the field protocol, responding to the many comments received from Region 1 and others. We anticipate the "final draft" will be out sometime in March.

Potential users should realize that some regional-level pre-work is needed before undertaking the field survey. For example, indicator species/lifestages that will define a 'barrier' need to be selected (eg. a barrier to dace may not be a barrier to trout). For those species, coarse screens need to be developed for use in the field. The screens distinguish crossings that are barriers from passable crossings, and from crossings needing further analysis. The project can offer assistance in formulating the screens, but in the end it must be done with specific knowledge of the species and lifestages concerned. This work should also be done in consultation with regulatory agencies and other partners. The Northern Region has draft coarse screens out for review for juvenile and adult bulltrout and cutthroat (contact Sheila Jacobson). Mark Hudy, eastern regions aquatic ecologist, is working to develop screens for several classes of fish in those regions.

The field surveys are best done jointly by people with background in fisheries, hydrology/geomorphology, and engineering. We strongly recommend that wildlife biologists also be consulted, at least during the planning phase, to ensure that aquatic and species other than fish are not overlooked. Courses for those who will supervise the field surveys and analyze the results are scheduled for the Intermountain Region in May and for the Northeast Region in July. The course notebook and materials are being developed in cooperation with the Aquatic Ecosystems Unit in Logan UT. It is hoped that the course will be available in future years.

Ultimately, the inventory data will be housed in NRIS and INFRA. In the interim, the Access database originally created by R6 and modified by R1 for the national protocol is available.

FishXing update Status: in development

Updates being incorporated in FishXing 3.0 (beta expected Sept 2003) include recently published fish swim performance data, metric capability, full pipe flow calculations, an option to compare culvert flows to regulatory criteria, improvements in the user interface and report generation, and others. Mike Furniss at the Forestry Sciences Lab in Corvallis OR is the project leader for FishXing.

Legal Requirements Status: in review

A synopsis of federal laws relating to aquatic organism passage at stream crossings has been drafted and is currently under review by OGC.

Video Status: in editing.

Filming is complete for two videos (3-min and 15-min) highlighting the problems with aquatic organism passage and demonstrating some solutions. The films aim to increase awareness among people unfamiliar with these problems. They are currently being edited, and should be finished sometime this spring. Tony Edwards at SDTDC is the project coordinator for the videos.

Aquatic Organism Passage Design Reference Guide and Learning System Status: in development.

Mike Furniss and associates are preparing an interactive CD-based tool that will offer reference material and/or links to basic design information including papers written for this project. It will encompass all aspects of passage project planning, site assessment, design and construction, guiding users to the best available information on each step. It will include case studies, narrated video clips of projects, and lectures on various topics. It is intended both as a desk reference (in place of a design manual), and as a self-paced training tool.

Biological Considerations in Road-Stream Crossing Design Status: in preparation.

This document is being written by Scott Jackson, extension herpetologist at University of Massachusetts. It will outline what is known about the reasons aquatic animals need to move, and how, when and how far they move. Desirable barriers and exotic species will be discussed, as well as what biological information is needed to support different crossing design strategies.

A report on aquatic insects, done for this project by Mace Vaughan of the Xerces Society, is posted on the San Dimas website http://fsweb.sdtdc.wo.fs.fed.us/programs/eng/aopxing/.

Geomorphic Considerations in Road-Stream Crossing Design Status: in preparation

Bob Gubernick of the Tongass NF is the principal author on this paper, which deals with the interaction between fixed crossing structures and dynamic stream channels. It will describe observations and measurements that assist in identifying the site-specific hazards likely to afflict crossings as well as possible effects of crossings on the channel. It will also detail how to take and use channel measurements as inputs to crossing design.

Stream Simulation Design Guide Status: in preparation

Kozmo Ken Bates, formerly Chief Engineer for Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife, is writing this document in consultation with FS practitioners. It will detail the evolving state of the art in stream simulation design. This design method is in use in the Pacific Coast states and the Inland Northwest. Efforts are being made to locate examples of stream simulation designs in other areas to improve our understanding of stream simulation in different climatic and geologic regions.

Best Construction Practices Status: in preparation

This guide will describe how to implement best techniques for construction of stream crossings in high value habitats. Topics include: dewatering, compaction, culvert infill, erosion and sediment control, site stabilization. Mike Edgerly, a consultant experienced in fish passage design and construction, is the principal author on this guide. He received a tremendous amount of excellent input during a January workshop in Vancouver WA, which brought together experienced practitioners from several agencies across the country

Aquatic Organism Passage Design Training Courses Status: to be developed

Course materials for an intensive 1-week design course for interdisciplinary teams will be developed in cooperation with the USFWS National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown WV. The course is expected to become part of NCTC's regular offerings. Its objective is to teach design techniques for crossings that pass aquatic organisms with particular emphasis on when and how to use stream simulation. Two courses will be offered this calendar year.