La Crosse Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office was established in 1981 and works to monitor and control the spread of invasive species such as invasive carp and round goby as well as restore threatened and endangered freshwater mussels and fish like the Topeka shiner and  inter-jurisdictional species like lake sturgeon. The office also provides technical and field expertise to tribal governments in managing their resources. Habitat biologists work to restore fish passage at dams in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa and coordinate habitat conservation projects for the Driftless Area Restoration Effort and Fishers and Farmers Partnership for the Upper Mississippi River Basin under the National Fish Habitat Partnership.  

About Us

A hand holding a green, yellow and red fish.
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The office provides technical and field expertise to tribal governments in managing their resources, such as assisting in walleye assessments in treaty-ceded territory and restoring lake sturgeon populations of the Red River Basin including the White Earth and Red Lake Nations. One key initiative includes controlling the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species through techniques like eDNA, telemetry, multi-beam sonar,and split-beam hydroacoustics. Habitat biologists work to restore 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 at dams in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa and coordinate habitat conservation projects for the Driftless Area Restoration Effort and Fishers and Farmers Partnership for the Upper Mississippi River Basin under the National Fish Habitat Partnership. 

What We Do

FWS employee netting fish
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La Crosse Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office works to: 

  • Restore native, inter-jurisdictional fishes and aquatic habitats 
  • Prevent the extinction of federally endangered fish and mussels 
  • Impede the spread of nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species 
  • Provide environmental education and outreach 
  • Attain 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     on streams and restore historic fish migrations through the National Fish Passage Program
  • Work on river and stream restoration, rehabilitation and enhancement projects 
  • Coordinate two National Fish Habitat Partnerships for the Upper Mississippi River Basin: the Driftless Area Restoration Effort and the Fishers and Farmers Partnership for the Upper Mississippi River Basin 
  • Fulfill federal trust responsibilities to Native American tribes 

Our Organization

The La Crosse Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is housed within the Midwest Fisheries Center, which also includes the La Crosse Fish Health Center, Whitney Genetics Laboratory and administrative, GIS and outreach staff, as well as the Regional Watercraft Safety Coordinator.

The Midwest Fisheries Center is the region’s Fish Technology Center for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Fish Technology Centers provide leadership in science-based management of trust aquatic resources through applied research and the development of new concepts, strategies and techniques to solve problems in aquatic resource conservation. Established in 2015, the Midwest Fisheries Center’s mission is: “Working in partnership, we provide leadership in science, technology and education for conservation of aquatic ecosystems emphasizing fisheries, aquatic invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species , genetics and aquatic animal health for the benefit of the public”.

A man is fishing in a boat with three young girls. The kids are excitedly pulling a fish out of the water.
The Fish and Aquatic Conservation programs work together to deliver resilient habitats, healthy fish, connected people, and strong partnerships. From habitat restoration to aquatic invasive species prevention, captive breeding to population assessment and monitoring, our programs are driven by the...
Program
Falls Church,VA
Silver Carp Jumping
Aquatic invasive species cause tremendous harm to our environment, our economy, and our health. They can drive out and eat native plants and wildlife, spread diseases, and damage infrastructure. We work to protect our waterways and the communities that depend on them from the threat of invasive...
Program
A person is walks through a large wide culvert that passes under a gravel road. A small river runs through the culvert.
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...
Program
A view of the Sacramento River. Its flat, blue water is lined by bright green trees and vegetation. Blue skies are overhead.
The National Fish Habitat Partnership is a comprehensive effort to treat the causes of fish habitat decline, not just the symptoms. The Partnership is a national investment strategy to maximize the impact of conservation dollars on the ground. Funds are leveraged through regional partnerships to...
Program

Our Species

An open hand holds a pinkish-gold shiner with bright red fins and golden face. The fish is facing left.
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We work on the detection of  invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species  including the highly invasive bighead and silver carp and round goby. In addition, the office works on improvement of habitat for the endangered Topeka shiner and other priority fish like brook trout and smallmouth bass, endangered freshwater mussels such as the Higgins eye, and 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 for lake sturgeon and other fish and freshwater mussels.

Projects and Research

FWS employee cutting into carp
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Using telemetry to monitor Bighead and Silver Carp in the Mississippi River

Understanding seasonal movements and habitat preferences of invasive species is one key to controlling them. If you want to control an invasive species, you must know where they are. To control them efficiently, you need data on their hotspots, where they live during different times of the year, and when they are most active during the day. Acoustic telemetry is one way that biologists are...

Using telemetry to monitor Bighead and Silver Carp in the Mississippi River
Upper Dam on the Upper Iowa River
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Proposed fish passage at the Upper and Lower Iowa Dams on the Upper Iowa River
The Upper Iowa River is rich with recreation

It's one of the state's most popular rivers for canoeing, kayaking, tubing, and fishing.

The Upper Iowa River offers the most public land access of all Iowa Rivers.

The Scenic River and Water Trail meanders through limestone bluffs and driftless trout streams and draws visitors from all over the country....

Proposed fish passage at the Upper and Lower Iowa Dams on the Upper Iowa River

Visit Us

A brick building (Midwest Fisheries Center) with a sign that reads, "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Fisheries Center, 555 Lester Avenue, La Crosse Fish Health Center, La Crosse Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, Whitney Genetics Laboratory, Ecological Services, Migratory Birds, Friends of the Upper Mississippi" and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service logo
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Our lobby features informational displays describing local aquatic wildlife and our scientific research and conservation efforts, a Mississippi River mural and an aquarium of local native fish. The lobby is open to the public. Our laboratories and other work areas are not generally open for tours so we encourage visitors to email or call to pre-arrange a tour. 

Latest News

A biologist holds a young lake sturgeon
Habitat Restoration
Restoring reverence along with the lake sturgeon
For one of North America’s most wide-ranging species, it takes an equally broad approach to restoration to create a comeback. Across 24 states and along with five provinces in Canada, we join a network of partners in bringing a flagship fishery back to health in our Great Lakes and mighty rivers.
Biologists load boat full of invasive carp onto trailer.
Science and Technology
Please do not disturb me, I'm working!
Using acoustic telemetry turns the search for invasive carp from looking for a needle in a haystack to aiming at a bullseye. One of the biggest challenges biologists face when using this method to track invasive carp movement is that people often unknowingly remove, displace, or destroy the...
Woman in usfws uniform looks through microscope
Our Partners
Getting on the same page: aging invasive carp with partners
What do you do when a group of people are looking at the same thing but have a different opinion on what they’re looking at? You get to the heart of it and get on the same page. The inner ear of carp holds key information on how old they are but determining the age of a fish is tricky. Similar to a...
water and marsh vegetation weave together throughout a wetland
Wildlife Wonders
Four Fish Who Want You To Wet Your Plants
Wetlands are cool and so are the fish that need them.
Pinicon Ridge Park Dam in Iowa
Habitat Restoration
78 More Miles of Connectivity Coming Soon to the Wapsipinicon River, Iowa
National Fish Passage funding in Iowa leads to 78 miles of river to be reconnected which will benefit the endangered Higgins' eye mussel.
A graphic showing a red stop sign with a boat on a ramp.
Recreation
Clean, Drain, Dry
Preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species starts with all of us. By working together we can protect our aquatic resources and recreational opportunities for future generations.
View All News

Get Involved

Children practice archery at the Youth Outdoor Fest in La Crosse
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The Midwest Fisheries Center offers environmental education activities for community groups and schools. In addition, the center can lend fishing poles to local community groups. Each year, the center co-sponsors several events in the community. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities available in several different areas.

Location and Contact Information