Fish Passage Workgroup

The Fish Passage Workgroup is committed to restoring creek, stream, and river habitats in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed by re-establishing historical fish migration routes, with the goal of opening an additional 132 miles for fish passage every two years.

Upcoming Meetings

No upcoming meetings.

‍View Past Meetings View Group Calendar‍

Scope and Purpose

The members of the Fish Passage Workgroup are dedicated to the restoration of creek, stream and river habitats in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Dams and other obstructions block the natural migration of fish to their historic spawning habitats. By removing physical obstacles, key species like American shad and herring are able to return to their spawning grounds, as well as increasing available habitat for resident fish. The Workgroup promotes projects involving the removal of dams or the creation of fishways when dam removal is not feasible. Whenever possible, projects are integrated with local watershed management or restoration plans. To date, the Fish Passage Workgroup has worked to open over 2,000 miles of streams and rivers for the passage of fish in the Bay watershed.

Projects and Resources

Recommendations for Aquatic Organism Passage at Maryland Road-Stream Crossings

The Habitat Goal Implementation Team funded the Fish Passage Workgroup to develop a set of recommendations for fish and aquatic organism passage at new and replacement road-stream crossings in Maryland. This document is the product of discussions, stakeholder meetings and several rounds of edits by state, federal and non-governmental partners. Coastal Resources, Inc. completed a literature and grey literature review and coordinated the writing of the document. It is intended to be a living document that can be updated as the Fish Passage Workgroup and partners learn more about implementing road-stream crossing projects to allow fish and aquatic organism passage in Maryland. It can also be used as a template to guide the development of similar documents in other Chesapeake Bay states.

Publications

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Watershed Agreement

Vital Habitats Goal

Members
Jim Thompson (Chair), Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Address:
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  jim.thompson@maryland.gov
Phone:  (410) 260-8269
Ray Li (Chair), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Address:


Email:  ray_li@fws.gov
Nick Staten (Staffer), Habitat Goal Implementation Team Staffer, Chesapeake Research Consortium
Address:
1750 Forest Drive Suite 140
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  staten.nick@epa.gov
Abigail McQueen, Trout Unlimited
Address:


Email:  Abigail.McQueen@tu.org
Alan Weaver, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
Address:
4010 West Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23230

Email:  alan.weaver@dgif.virginia.gov
Phone:  (804) 367-6795
Alex Vidal, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Address:
Maryland Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office


Email:  alexander_vidal@fws.gov
Angie Sowers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Baltimore District
Address:
10 S. Howard Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21203

Email:  angela.sowers@usace.army.mil
Phone:  (410) 962-7440
Ben Bradley, Virginia Tech
Address:
Conservation Management Institute


Email:  benbradley@vt.edu
Ben Hutzell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Address:
177 Admiral Cochrane Drive
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  ben_hutzell@fws.gov
Phone:  (410) 573-4581
Callie McMunigal, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Address:
400 East Main Street
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia 24986

Email:  callie_mcmunigal@fws.gov
Clint Morgeson, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
Address:
7870 Villa Park Drive
Henrico, Virginia 23228

Email:  clinton.morgeson@dgif.virginia.gov
Dave Dippold, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
Address:


Email:  ddippold@pa.gov
David O'Brien, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Address:
Gloucester Point (VA) Field Office
Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062

Email:  David.L.O'Brien@noaa.gov
David Thorne, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
Address:
738 Ward Road
Elkins, West Virginia 26241

Email:  david.w.thorne@wv.gov
Gian Dodici, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Address:


Email:  gian_dodici@fws.gov
Jessie Thomas-Blate, American Rivers
Address:
1101 14th St NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC, District of Columbia 20005

Email:  jthomas@americanrivers.org
Julie Devers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Address:
177 Admiral Cochrane Drive
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  julie_devers@fws.gov
Phone:  (410) 573-4508
Kevin Mulligan, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Address:
One Migratory Way
Turner's Falls, Alabama 01376

Email:  kmulligan@usgs.gov
Lisa Moss, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Address:
11110 Kimages Road
Charles City, Virginia 23030

Email:  Lisa_Moss@fws.gov
Mary Andrews, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Address:
410 Severn Ave, Suite 107A
Annapolis, Maryland 21403

Email:  Mary.Andrews@noaa.gov
Phone:  (410) 267-5644
Matt Robinson, Life Scientist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Address:
1750 Forest Drive
Suite 130
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  robinson.matthew@epa.gov
Phone:  410-267-5756
Matthew Ogburn, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)
Address:
647 Contees Wharf Road
Edgewater, Maryland 21037

Email:  ogburnm@si.edu
Mike Trumbauer, Biohabitats
Address:


Email:  mtrumbauer@biohabitats.com
Rese Cloyd, District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
Address:
1200 First St. NE,
Fifth Floor
Washington, District of Columbia 20002

Email:  rese.cloyd@dc.gov
Phone:  (202) 997-9607
Sandra Davis, USFWS Chesapeake Bay Field Office
Address:
177 Admiral Cochrane Drive
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  sandra_davis@fws.gov
Serena McClain, American Rivers
Address:
355 N. 21st Street, Suite 209
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 17011

Email:  smmclain@americanrivers.org
Phone:  (717) 763-0743
Sheila Eyler, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Address:
177 Admiral Cochrane Dr.
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  Sheila_Eyler@fws.gov
Phone:  (410) 573-4554
Tammy O'Connell, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Address:


Email:  tamaral.oconnell@maryland.gov
Thomas Kehler, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Address:


Email:  Thomas_Kehler@fws.gov