[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Fish Passage Assessment
In
2009 and 2010, CBEP
initiated an assessment of stream/road crossings to identify barriers
for migration of fish and other aquatic organisms throughout
the watershed. Working in collaboration with the US Fish &
Wildlife Service Gulf of Maine Coastal Program, Sebago Chapter
of Trout Unlimited, Sheepscot River Watershed Council, and Portland
Water District. CBEP recruited and trained interns and volunteers,
who surveyed more than 1,000 crossings. They collected
detailed data from more than 700 culverts and approximately 30
dams. The survey was the first in the state to be carried out in
a region that is largely urban and suburban; previous Maine surveys
were focused on more rural landscapes.
Results from the 2009-10 field survey
indicate that most culverts are fish passage barriers. A quarter of all
culverts are impassable to fish because their outlet is perched
significantly above the elevation of the stream. Since most of
Maine's anadromous fishes don't jump, these culverts effectively block
upstream movement of many anadromous fishes. CBEP is working to restore
fish passage through a new culvert design.
In 2012, working with US Fish & Wildlife Service Gulf of Maine Coastal Program, CBEP produced the Casco Bay Watershed Fish Barrier Priorities Atlas.
The atlas was created to help guide and prioritize restoration of
streams affected by road/stream crossings and dams acting as barriers to
fish passage, and identify places where fish passage and flood issue
co-occur. The atlas combines 42 individual town maps that show the
degree of restriction each crossing poses for fish passage, as well as
flood hazards. Maps were mailed to town managers, road
commissioners, and public works directors in each community.
Note:
The atlas describes field survey conditions as of 2009-10. When
available, data on barriers outside the Casco Bay watershed was
included. Updated information on barriers on public roads outside
the Watershed is now available through the Maine Stream Habitat Viewer.
