Habitat restoration, Resilience and risk mitigation

This project will further the growing efforts within St. Clair County of replacing inadequately designed road crossings with appropriately sized bottomless culverts or bridges to improve aquatic wildlife movement.  This project will replace up to three road crossings that will improve critical habitat for the trispot darter. Obsolete or poorly designed dams, culverts, stream crossings, and levees keep fish, and other aquatic species from moving freely to feed, migrate, and reproduce.  These challenges put fish populations at risk and undermine the health of the rivers.  

Quick Facts:

Project Status

Active

Location 

AL, St. Clair

NFPP Project Funding

$1,125,000

Restoration Techniques

Culvert Replacement

Accomplishments

6 Stream Miles Replaced

Project Partner Lead

Cawaco RC & D

Primary Species Benefited

Trispot Darter

Money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure and economic competitiveness. We were directly appropriated $455 million over five years in BIL funds for programs related to the President’s America the Beautiful initiative.

Learn more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
replaced an old, undersized, concrete culvert with a bottomless arch structure structure
Something temporarily or permanently constructed, built, or placed; and constructed of natural or manufactured parts including, but not limited to, a building, shed, cabin, porch, bridge, walkway, stair steps, sign, landing, platform, dock, rack, fence, telecommunication device, antennae, fish cleaning table, satellite dish/mount, or well head.

Learn more about structure
on private property in St. Clair County, Alabama. The new culvert helps restore the stream to its natural condition and promotes upstream migration for the trispot darter, especially during periods of low water flow. Photo courtesy of Manulife Investment Management

The National Fish Passage Program combines technical expertise with a track record of success. 

Implemented primarily through the Service's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices, the National Fish Passage Program provides financial and technical assistance to partners across the country. Since 1999, the program has worked with over 2,000 local communities, Tribes, and private landowners to remove or bypass over 3,400 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
and reopen access to over 61,000 miles of upstream habitat for fish and other animals. Staff have expertise in fish migration and biology as well as financial, engineering, and planning assistance to communities, Tribes, and landowners to help them remove barriers and restore rivers for the benefit both fish and people. 

Fish passage project proposals can be initiated by any individual, organization, government, or agency. However, proposals must be submitted and completed in cooperation with a Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. (Please note that fish passage projects being used for federal or state compensatory mitigation or required by existing federal or state regulatory programs are not eligible for funding through the National Fish Passage Program.) 

 CONTACT A FISH PASSAGE COORDINATOR IN YOUR AREA TO GET STARTED. 

News

A bridge over a free-flowing creek with burlap covered soil for replanting on the banks
Across the United States, over seven million dams and road-related barriers are fragmenting rivers, blocking fish migration, and putting communities at higher risk of flooding. But identifying these barriers can sometimes feel like finding a needle in a haystack! The National Aquatic Barrier...
Photo of arch which facilitates fish passage in St. Clair County, Alabama.
Manulife Investment Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service teamed up to restore natural habitats for the federally threatened trispot darter, found on land owned by a timber company.

Programs

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. Improving fish passage is one of the most effective ways to help conserve vulnerable species while building safer infrastructure for communities and...

Species