Aquatic Organism Passage at Road-Stream Crossings

Alan Yamada, Program Leader

Kim Clarkin , Project Leader

May 10 , 2004

Barrier Inventory Protocol
Status: May 2004 minor updates published on this webpage.

Slight revisions were also made in the field form May 2004. The “final draft” published on this webpage in June 2003 is still the most current draft of the protocol.

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 Southeast Region in May on the George Washington NF and the Rocky Mountain Region in June. Courses were given last year for R4 (Boise ID) and R9 Rutland VT).

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. The FishXing team is putting significant effort into improving the help information relating to fish movement. Barrier assessment field methods are also being included. Mike Furniss at the Forestry Sciences Lab in Corvallis OR is the project leader for FishXing.

Video
Status: complete.

Two videos (3-min and 15-min) highlighting the problems with aquatic organism passage and demonstrating some solutions have been mailed out to all FS units. The films aim to increase awareness among people unfamiliar with these problems. The films are titled ‘Getting Across’.

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.

Aquatic Organism Passage at Road-Stream Crossings: Design and Construction of Stream Simulation Culverts
Status: in preparation.

This guide describes how to assess a site, find a reference reach, and simulate a streambed inside a culvert that will pass all aquatic species at the site. It also discusses situations when exact stream simulation is not feasible or desirable, and what design methods are useful in those cases. Contract provisions and specifications for stream simulation projects are illustrated, and some of the most common construction challenges are described, along with some solutions. The first part of the guide describes ecological and geomorphic processes that should be considered during crossing design.

Aquatic Organism Passage Design Training Courses
Status: active

This course is taught by a 4-5 person team of experienced designers. Its objective is to teach design techniques for crossings that pass aquatic organisms with particular emphasis on when and how to use stream simulation. These courses were given in California and Boise earlier this year, and another will be held in New Hampshire in September. Dan Cenderelli, Olympic NF, is the course coordinator.