The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has developed an update to the Statewide Fish Passage Barrier Priority List, which is revised every five years.
The list identifies the most critical manmade barriers to fish passage in the state and ranks them based on the amount of habitat quality and quantity blocked, current level of passage, number of species blocked and other factors. This list is used to help direct enforcement and restoration efforts throughout Oregon.
During this update, the methods for ranking the barriers on the list were updated to include two new factors to consider climate change in the methods for scoring. The new climate change variables include one factor for barriers that block access to current cold-water habitat and one factor that accounts for predicted changes in thermal suitability. The draft list and the draft methods paper are available online at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/passage/inventories.asp
“It is the policy of the State of Oregon to provide for upstream and downstream passage of native migratory fish (NMF). NMF are fish species native to Oregon that migrate for their life cycle needs,” says the draft methods paper. “Oregon has approximately 41,839 inventoried artificial obstructions (AOs) that are fish passage barriers and can potentially inhibit or delay fish movement.”
An AO is any dam, diversion, culvert, or other human-made device placed in the waters of this state that precludes or prevents the migration of native migratory fish.
“Due to the volume of these AOs and the associated cost of repairing them, only a small proportion are addressed each year. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has constructed a list of 605 priority fish passage barriers to identify locations that would maximize the return of NMF to critical habitats if addressed.
“Previous priority barrier lists approved by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2013 and 2019 were developed by ODFW staff selecting priority AOs and using a scoring methodology to rank them. In developing the 2025 priority list, ODFW updated the scoring equation to add two new factors to address climate change concerns.
“Climate change presents significant challenges for NMF populations, affecting habitat availability and quality, which can increase competition and strain to vulnerable NMF species. In response, the 2025 priority barrier list incorporates new scoring factors that account for current access to cold water and areas resilient to climate change. This allows ODFW to better target restoration efforts that enhance resilience in fish populations and their habitats,” says the draft paper.
The priority list puts in the “top 10” such major dams as Detroit and Lookout Point dams in the Willamette Valley, Cougar Dam in the McKenzie River basin, and the Hells Canyon dams on the Snake River.
A public comment period is open until Nov. 28, 2024 for people to share their thoughts and suggestions on the draft Priority List and new scoring methods. ODFW encourages water users, infrastructure owners, land use managers, conservationists, and other interested groups or individuals to provide their expertise and insight. This public involvement will help ODFW publish a Priority List that is accurate and effective to better support our mission to restore fish passage.
Public comments will be shared with the Fish Passage Task Force for consideration as they discuss the draft list and methods at their next public meeting to be held virtually on Dec. 6. ODFW plans to present the updated list to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for their consideration at the April 18, 2025, Commission Meeting.
Submit public comments by 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 28, 2024 via email to [email protected] or by mail to: ODFW Fish Passage Program, 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, Salem, Oregon 97302.