Oregon ID's 600 fish passage barriers

A list of manmade structures the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) considers critical to fish passage was released last week. Updated every five years, the draft priority list identifies the 605 barriers considerred critical to fish passage based on the amount of habitat quality and quantity blocked, and the current levels of fish passage, as well as the number of species being blocked.

Within the McKenzie River basin, several structures made the list, including, dams, culverts, and other infrastructure that impede the migration of native fish like salmon and steelhead. Larger installationsy include the Walterville and Leaburg canal diversions, Blue River and Cougar dams, and the the Carmen-Smith hydroelectric project. Culverts across tributaries to the McKenzie River that could be undersized or improperly placed, are included in the study because they could block fish from reaching spawning and rearing habitats.

ODFW uses the list to help direct enforcement and restoration efforts throughout Oregon. During the current update, methods for ranking the barriers were updated to include two new factors to consider. New climate change variables include one for barriers that block access to the current cold-water habitat and another that accounts for predicted changes in thermal suitability.

The draft list and the draft methods paper are available online at tinyurl.com/8m855nw4

While the draft priority list is only open for public comment until 11:59 p.m. on November 28th via email to [email protected] The Fish Passage Task Force will review public comments during its next public meeting on December 6th. ODFW plans to present the updated list to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for consideration at the Commission Meeting on April 18th, 2025.