National Wild Fish Health Survey Mapper

National Wild Fish Health Survey Mapper

The National Wild Fish Health Survey provides information on the presence or absence of aquatic animal pathogens in wild fish populations to tribes, state and federal fisheries managers, the aquaculture industry, conservation groups, researchers, and the public. This information helps to better manage both hatchery and wild fish populations.   

The survey is conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Fish Health Centers and the information is used to help biologists and fisheries managers decide where and how to manage aquatic animals and to model for future pathogen occurrences. This data can help to establish safe zones and areas where movement of aquatic animals can take place without endangering the health of wild fish populations. 

The data from the Survey is available to explore in a GIS Mapper that can be used to:  

• Track fish movement in wild environments. 

• Assess the risk of pathogen spread. 

• Understand the distribution of pathogens in the environment.  

• Inform modeling decisions

• Help inform conservation decisions. 

• Select the best locations to source broodfish.  

• Identify what fish are susceptible to pathogens and where they can be found.  

Launch the National Wild Fish Health Survey Database Mapper

Open mapper by clicking on the link below (best viewed by maximizing your browser window):

National Wild Fish Health Survey Mapper

Image Details

Review Mapper Case Studies that Explore Data, Export Data to .CSV, and Create Maps:  

Case Study #1: Identify sampling done by the National Wild Fish Health Survey on Upper Klamath Lake to aid in the risk assessment of moving Klamath suckers from Tule Lake into the Upper Klamath Lake. 

Case Study #2: Identify sampling done by the National Wild Fish Health Survey done on Pyramid Lake to aid in the risk assessment of moving Sacramento Perch to California from Pyramid Lake in Nevada.

Description of Layers 

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Fish Health Centers  

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Management Boundaries 

• Watershed Reference Layer FWS National Wild Fish Health Survey Summary Data 2021-Present – This feature layer contains all the National Wild Fish Health survey data from 2021-present. This feature layer is updated on a monthly basis. Please see the ArcGIS Online item’s metadata (URL) for more information. 

• Watershed Reference Layer FWS National Wild Fish Health Survey Summary Historical Data - This feature layer contains all the National Wild Fish Health survey data from 1996-2020. Please see the ArcGIS Online item’s metadata (URL) for more information. 

Description of Filters 

• HUC 8 Watersheds Layer  - Watersheds are delineated by USGS using a nationwide system based on surface hydrologic features and reference by a hierarchical hydrologic unit code (HUC). 

• List of U.S. States by HUC 8 Watershed 

• List of Pathogens by HUC 8 Watershed 

For regionally specific questions contact the staff at our Fish Health Centers.  

California-Nevada Fish Health Center 

• Ken Nichols  CANVFishHealthCenter@fws.gov 

Bozeman Fish Health Center 

• Rick Cordes rick_cordes@fws.gov  

• Lacey Hopper lacey_hopper@fws.gov 

Lamar Fish Health Center 

• William Quartz william_quartz@fws.gov 

Dexter Fish Health Center, SNARRC Fish Health Center 

• Jason Woodland jason_woodland@fws.gov 

La Crosse Fish Health Center 

• Kenneth Phillips kenneth_phillips@fws.gov  

• Rebekah McCann rebekah_mccann@fws.gov 

Pacific Region Fish Health Program 

• Andrew Goodwin, andrew_goodwin@fws.gov 

Warm Springs Fish Health Center 

• Devin Chappell devin_chappell@fws.gov