Across the country, millions of barriers are fragmenting rivers, blocking fish migration, and putting communities at higher risk to flooding. Removing those barriers is one of the most effective ways to help conserve vulnerable species while building safer infrastructure for people. The National Fish Passage Program restores rivers, protects wildlife, and rebuilds economies.

Latest Stories and Topics

Stories
a bridge over a river in the distance with mountains in the background and pink fireweed flowers in the foreground
Habitat Restoration
Fish Passage: Not Just for Fish
For 25 years the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Fish Passage Program has worked with partners across the country to remove 3,500 barriers to fish passage and reopen 64,000 miles of previously inaccessible streams for fish and other wildlife. These projects reopen waterways for fish,...
A huge culvert spanning a creek with a woman inside with outstretched arms and people walking on the road above
Habitat Restoration
Alaska's Largest Culvert Frees Tyonek Creek
A whale of a culvert now spans lower Tyonek Creek just south of the Native Village of Tyonek, Alaska. The 45-foot wide, 22 foot tall, and 120-foot-long culvert is the biggest fish passage culvert in Alaska.
Mouth open on goldish silvery fish in murky water
Endangered Species Act
Healthy habitat for hitch
Recovering populations of Clear Lake hitch isn’t just a goal for the Robinson Rancheria Pomo Indians of California; it’s critical to their culture and way of life.
The orange arm of a construction excavator reaches into a river to break apart a dam
Habitat Restoration
Of herring and humans
Taunton residents lived with the specter of dam failures for decades, as structures that once harnessed the Mill River’s power fell into disrepair. A wake-up call in the early 2000s led to a restored waterway that not only increases public safety but also offers river herring and other migratory...
man standing on a flooded road
History and Culture
A fix for flooding and fish passage
After more than a decade, two culvert replacement projects will provide peace of mind to a small northern California coastal Tribal community and restore fish passage to the Klamath River.
A salmon photoshopped to appear to be wearing glasses and singing into a microphone
Migratory Species
I'm a fish (Gonna spawn till I die): an original song by the Fish and Wildlife Band
Catch this release of I'm a fish (Gonna spawn till I die), an original FWS song about the importance of migratory fish, healthy fish habitats and aquatic connectivity.
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Our Services

We provide financial and technical assistance to support projects that improve fish passage - the ability of fish and other aquatic wildlife to move freely throughout their life . 

Across the country, millions of aging, obsolete, or poorly designed dams, roads, and levees are causing widespread ecological damage and putting communities at risk. These barriers trap fish, preventing them from finding food, shelter, and habitat to spawn. Outdated and aging infrastructure affects people as well as wildlife: it degrades water quality, can heighten flood risk, and creates dangers for recreational users. Fortunately, restoring aquatic connectivity offers a win-win solution for both people and nature.

Since 1999, the National Fish Passage Program has:

  • Worked with more than 2,000 local communities, Tribes, and private landowners across the country
  • Removed or bypassed more than 3,500 barriers to  fish passage fish passage
    Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.

    Learn more about fish passage
  • Reopened access to more than 64,000 miles of upstream habitat for fish and other wildlife

2023 By the Numbers

  • 118 barriers removed or bypassed  
  • 2,200 miles of stream habitat reopened 
  • 24,812 acres restored for fish and other wildlife
woman holding survey equipment
Fish Passage Technical and Planning Assistance

The National Fish Passage Program provides financial and technical assistance for projects that improve the ability of fish or other aquatic species to migrate by reconnecting habitat that has been fragmented by a barrier such as a dam or culvert. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists...

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Explore our library of fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.

Learn more about fish passage resources, stories, and projects.