The National Fish Habitat Partnership (www.fishhabitat.org) today unveiled its
list of 10 “Waters to Watch” for 2015—a collection of rivers, streams,
estuaries, lakes and watershed systems that will benefit from strategic
conservation efforts to protect, restore or enhance their current condition.
These voluntary, locally driven projects represent conservation actions in
progress implemented under the National Fish Habitat Partnership by 19 regional
Fish Habitat Partnerships throughout the country.
The conservation actions implemented through these projects
are designed to conserve freshwater, estuarine and marine habitats essential to
the many fish and wildlife species that call these areas home. These examples
of conservation have been fundamental to the overall success of the National
Fish Habitat Partnership since 2006.
Throughout the year, these projects will demonstrate how
conservation efforts are reversing persistent declines in our nation’s aquatic
habitats. Having featured 90 partnership projects since 2007, these “Waters to
Watch” are proving that science-based, on-the-ground conservation efforts are
truly making a difference in improving fish habitat across the country.
“Success in conservation often doesn’t happen overnight,”
said Kelly Hepler, Chair of the National Fish Habitat Board. “We are
highlighting these projects today with both long and short-term goals in mind.
We are working through our regional partnerships in an effort to conserve these
great waterways and reverse declines in suitable fish habitat. In our 9th
year of this annual campaign, we are beginning to see many of our previous
projects named to this list making a real difference. For our 10th
Anniversary of the “Waters to Watch” in 2016, we will highlight some of these
dynamic past projects that are making a positive impact both regionally and
nationally.”
The “Waters to Watch” in 2015 and associated Fish
Habitat Partnerships:
1. Alexander Creek Watershed, AK
Partnership: Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat
Partnership (http://bit.ly/1dZhlod)
Objective: Project goals are to restore Alexander Creek drainage
Chinook salmon numbers in what was previously very productive habitat and a
vibrant fishery. Partners are working to do this through large scale invasive
pike removal and monitoring, as well as detection, education and eradication of
Alaska's first invasive aquatic plant Elodea.
2. Kasilof and Anchor
River Watersheds, AK
Partnership:
Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership (http://bit.ly/1F4OzLE)
Objective: The Kenai Peninsula
Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project will help restore physical and biological
processes within the Kasilof and Anchor River Watersheds in order to contribute
to a healthy, productive and biologically diverse ecosystem for the benefit of
injured species and services. The project will eliminate four barriers to
aquatic species passage on the Anchor and Kasilof Rivers.
3. Kilchis Estuary, OR
Partnership: Pacific Marine and
Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership (http://bit.ly/1EAjg8a)
Objective:
Restore freshwater and tidal connections, provide off-channel rearing
habitat for salmonids, and restore historic spruce swamp habitat. The site
provides habitat for coho, Chinook and chum salmon, steelhead and cutthroat
trout as well as a myriad of other wetland species, including colonial nesting
waterbirds, migrating waterfowl, juvenile marine fishes and resident mammals.
4.
Lake Livingston, TX
Partnership:
Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership (http://bit.ly/1KFfEWW)
Objective:
The
overall goal of the project is to reestablish Lake Livingston as a destination
for anglers and other outdoor recreationists. As such, the project has support
from a host of community leaders. A dedicated core group of volunteer leaders
are in place to ensure that the project continues to move forward garnering
additional local support along the way.
5. Lower Heeia Stream Habitat Improvement Project,
Oahu (HI)
Partnership: Hawaii Fish
Habitat Partnership (http://bit.ly/1KFi0Fh)
Objective:
This project will restore native vegetation in the tidally influenced portion
of Heeia Stream and its adjacent estuary. Project implementation will involve
removal of a large stand of invasive riparian trees, followed by soil
preparation, erosion control and riparian forest restoration using native plant
species.
6. Mill Creek Restoration, WV
Partnership: Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (http://bit.ly/1Fik341)
Objective:
The WV Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) is mitigating the negative
impacts of Super Storms that occurred in 2012 on Mill Creek, WV, one of the
state’s four intact brook trout populations, by implementing a strategic Large
Woody Material “chop and drop” program within Kumbrabow State Forest, which
encompasses approximately 6 stream miles. This project is being completed
utilizing the principles of natural stream restoration to place, and in some
instances modify and anchor, currently hanging trees in the stream as habitat
for fish.
7.
Pinole Creek, CA
Partnership: California Fish Passage Forum (http://bit.ly/1JF2I37)
Objective:
The purpose of this project is to restore access to
the upper reaches of Pinole Creek for the current population of Central
California Coast Steelhead by modifying the existing box culverts where Pinole
Creek passes under Interstate Highway 80 (I-80). Habitat assessments conducted on Pinole Creek
in 2009 indicate sufficient habitat to support anadromous steelhead spawning
and rearing if passage issues at the I-80 culvert are remedied. This project
will improve access to nearly seven miles of documented quality steelhead
spawning and rearing habitat on the main stem of Pinole Creek.
8.
Shoshone Springs Pupfish Habitat Project, CA
Partnership: Desert Fish Habitat Partnership (http://bit.ly/1E3P4S5)
Objective:
The project secured the existence of Shoshone pupfish in their native range far
into the future, and will educate the public about their importance. The project quadrupled the habitat
area occupied by endemic Shoshone pupfish, benefiting the entire known
population in the one spring, springbrook, and spring supported riparian system
where they naturally occur.
9. Sun Creek, OR
Partnership:
Western Native Trout Initiative (http://bit.ly/1zXTKhD)
Objective: To reestablish
redband trout and migratory populations of bull trout to Sun Creek through
improved connectivity, habitat quality and stream and riparian function. Due to
poor connectivity between Sun Creek and the Wood River, overall habitat
degradation, and interactions with non-native salmonids, redband trout were
extirpated from Sun Creek and bull trout populations were restricted to a short
headwater reach. Similar to other Cascade tributaries in the Upper Klamath
Basin, Sun Creek likely supported widespread and abundant populations of both
species. Reconnecting Sun Creek to the Wood River will allow redband trout
to recolonize Sun Creek and access high quality spawning and rearing habitat.
It will also provide a migratory corridor for the isolated bull trout
population to expand its range, occupy new habitat within Wood River watershed,
and improve overall population resilience.
10. Ulele Springs on the
Hillsborough River, FL
Partnership:
Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (http://bit.ly/1zXTXBp)
Objective: The restored Ulele Springs is providing native
wetland vegetation and provide habitat for fish and mammals. To date, numerous
native fish and wildlife has been observed within the basin, which is staring
to mimic the anticipated species richness and diversity of a natural spring run
entering an estuarine ecotone.
About the National Fish Habitat Partnership:
Since 2006, the National Fish Habitat Partnership has been a
partner in 514 projects in 47 states benefiting fish habitat. The National Fish
Habitat Partnership works to conserve fish habitat nationwide, leveraging
federal, state, tribal, and private funding resources to achieve the greatest
impact on fish populations through priority conservation projects. The national
partnership implements the National Fish Habitat Action Plan and supports 19
regional grassroots partner organizations.
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