ALERT: MEETINGS CHANGED TO VIRTUAL ONLY DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER
February 7, 2025
SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking public comment on the draft 2025 Statewide Priority Fish Passage Barrier List (Priority List). Oregon law requires the Priority List to be revised every five years (OAR 635-412-0015(9)).
This Priority List identifies the most critical artificial barriers to fish passage in Oregon, ranking them based on the amount and quality of habitat blocked, current level of passage, number of species impacted, and other factors including predicted effects of climate change. This list is used to help direct restoration and enforcement efforts throughout Oregon.
Over the last year, ODFW has been working to update the Priority List. During this update, methods for ranking the barriers on the list were modified to include two new factors (current cold water access and predicted change in future thermal suitability) to consider climate change during scoring. The draft list, the draft methods paper, additional background information, and previous public comments received are available online.
The public comment period is open until 11:59 p.m., Feb. 28, 2025. Submit comments via email to Fish.Passage@ODFW.Oregon.Gov or by mail to: ODFW Fish Passage Program, 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, Salem, Oregon 97302.
ODFW encourages water users, infrastructure owners, land use managers, conservationists, and other interested groups or individuals to provide their expertise and insight. Public involvement will help ODFW publish a Priority List that is accurate and effective to better support the state's fish passage policy to provide fish passage.
Public comments and the final draft Priority List will be presented to the Fish Passage Task Force at their Mar. 7 meeting where they will make a recommendation to ODFW staff. Staff will then present the updated 2025 Draft Priority List to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for consideration at their April 18 meeting in Winchester Bay.
ODFW photos: A 2018 culvert replacement on Oak Ranch Creek, a tributary to the Nehalem River improved fish access to 9.5 miles of habitat for cutthroat trout, coho and Chinook salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey.
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