Our mission is to protect and revitalize anadromous fish populations in California by restoring connectivity of freshwater habitats throughout their historic range.

The California Fish Passage Forum is a collaborative entity formed among state, local, and federal agencies, fisheries conservation groups, researchers, restoration contractors, and other interested parties to explore and develop an effective methodology, and plan to restore and recover anadromous fish populations by improving fish passage at man-made barriers. The Forum’s primary goal is to restore the connectivity of freshwater habitats throughout the historic range of anadromous fish. This goal is to be achieved through seven objectives including barrier remediation, collaborative work among Forum signatories and partners: funding, permitting, monitoring, policy, education and outreach and science-based applications of fish passage principles.

Organizations are represented by one designated member and optional additional alternate members. We thank our membership organizations and our members who make the Forum’s work possible.

Download the Forum Strategic Framework

The California Fish Passage Forum is on of 20 nationally recognized Fish Habitat Partnerships under the umbrella of support of the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP)

NFHPs mission is to protect, restore and enhance the nation’s fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the American people.

Learn more about the National Fish Habitat Partnership

Anadromous Fish Stressors

Man-made barriers to fish passage include road/stream crossings, irrigation diversions and dams. Passage impediments and delays in migration affect both adult and juvenile fish. Given the magnitude and severity of the problem, reconnecting isolated stream habitat has become an important priority in restoring anadromous fish populations. Common factors that adversely impact fish populations in California’s anadromous waters include:

changes in runoff patterns and water storage
land-use and natural resource extraction activities
spatial and temporal changes in connectivity
non-native species introductions

increased predator populations
commercial and recreational fishing
hatchery operations
natural environmental variations

Anadromous Fish Species Affected by Passage Barriers in California

California streams and rivers have historically been home to several native anadromous fish species. These include Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Steelhead/rainbow trout, Coastal Cutthroat trout, Green sturgeon and White sturgeon, Pacific lamprey, Eulachon, and Threespine stickleback. Historically, anadromous fish passage efforts in California have focused on Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, and Steelhead. Pink salmon have only occurred rarely in California since the latter half of the 20th century. Chum salmon are slightly more common than pink salmon, but are still highly limited in California.

Chinook Salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Chinook salmon are a major focus of fish passage restoration efforts. Regional populations of Chinook are either listed as endangered or threatened, in part due to greatly reduced habitat connectivity.

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Coho Salmon

Oncorhynchus kisutch

Coho salmon are a major focus of fish passage restoration efforts. Regional populations of Coho are either listed as endangered or threatened, in part due to greatly reduced habitat connectivity.

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Steelhead/Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

California Steelhead are a major focus of fish passage restoration efforts. Regional populations of Steelhead are either listed as endangered or threatened, in part due to greatly reduced habitat connectivity.

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Pacific Lamprey

Entosphenus tridentatus

Currently, there are efforts across the Pacific Northwest to analyze and mediate the impact of barriers on lampreys. These efforts are often linked to passage projects associated with salmon and steelhead and once refined, will likely consist of additions or alterations to traditional salmonid passage designs.

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Coastal Cutthroat Trout

Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii

Coastal cutthroat trout are a State of California Species of Special Concern, but have no federal status and have generally not been the focus of fish passage efforts.

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White Sturgeon

Acipenser transmontanus

Passage impacts on white sturgeon are almost exclusively limited to large dams and therefore, passage improvement projects for sturgeon are complex, expensive, and not common.

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Green Sturgeon

Acipenser medirostris

Passage impacts on green sturgeon are almost exclusively limited to large dams and therefore, passage improvement projects for sturgeon are complex, expensive, and not common.

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Eulachon (Pacific Smelt)

Thaleichthys pacificus

Passage does not likely have a major impact on eulachon as they are found in the lower reaches of coastal rivers and streams and spend very little time in freshwater.

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Threespine Stickleback

Gasterosteus aculeatus

Threespine sticklebacks are highly adaptable and show a wide variety of life history strategies that likely greatly reduce the impact of barriers.

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Explore the Status of Population and Range of Salmon in California

Restoring Connectivity Improves:

Economics

For every stream mile reconnected, there is more than a $500,000 benefit to communities. For every stream mile opened to fish passage, 12 jobs are supported.
Every fish passage improvement structure that is completed benefits from a maintenance-free infrastructure that is likely to last 50-100 years. When aging, soon-to-fail infrastructure is replaced with new structures, significant value is added to local economies by increasing the reliability and stability of its transportation infrastructure.
Many existing fish passage structures are at risk of failing. When they fail, an emergency exists, generally in a financially-strapped, rural and remote area, which creates a financial burden on the entity responsible for maintenance. Planning for high priority fish passage barrier removal provides the needed time for managers to efficiently plan and budget for replacement structures, versus having to replace the structures in crisis mode (which generally costs more).
Replacement of fish passage barriers with new designs developed using stream simulation technology results in significant cost savings and limited up-front investments.
Fish passage improvement efforts help our society modernize in a way that simultaneously improves transportation and the health and sustainability of our natural resources.
Watershed restoration projects generate an estimated 17 jobs for every $1 million invested, through job creation, reduced maintenance costs, and increased ecotourism and recreation

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Ecosystem Function

Improves floodplain function—Floodplains are critical for maintaining river productivity and biotic diversity.
Improves resilience to climate change—Eliminating the barriers to fish passage in California’s coastal river systems results in ecosystems that are more resilient to sea-level rise, while opening habitat upstream of a barrier provides access to cooler refugia as well as ensuring migration corridors are intact.
Enhances connectivity—Reconnects Fragmented Habitats. Without ecosystem connectivity, areas could remain void of species diversity, as new populations cannot move in to mitigate a local extirpation.
Improves upstream nutrient quality—Anadromous fish whose movements are impeded upstream contribute less to upstream nutrient quality through carcass deposition.
Invasive species deterrent—Healthy watersheds are less likely to become infested with invasive species because naturally functioning ecosystems favor colonization by indigenous species. Invasive species cost the United States millions of dollars annually in lost food production, tourism and trade.
Improves access to more and better quality habitats—Fish passage barriers impede fish and other aquatic life from accessing existing higher quality habitats (size, distribution, and connectivity) upstream and freshwater habitat for spawning and juvenile rearing.

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Fisheries Health

Increases fish abundance and diversity—Stream sections located above impassable culverts had fewer than half the number of fish species and less than half the total fish abundance compared to stream sections above and below passable culverts.
Improves hybrid vigor—Fish barriers increase the level of inbreeding in non-migratory fish, which increases susceptibility to disease, decreases reproductive capacity, causes high mortality, and contributes to extinction.
Lessens vulnerability— Barriers increase vulnerability to catastrophic events, such as drought.
Improves movement and migration— Fish population dynamics are linked to movement. Fish barriers block the migration and movement of fish.
Reduces mortality and predation—Removing fish barriers reduces fish mortality and predation.
Helps to preserve/restore fish populations.

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Our mission is to protect and revitalize anadromous fish populations in California by restoring connectivity of freshwater habitats throughout their historic range.

Anadromous Fish Stressors

Anadromous Fish Species Affected by Passage Barriers in California

Chinook Salmon

Coho Salmon

Steelhead/Rainbow Trout

Pacific Lamprey

Coastal Cutthroat Trout

White Sturgeon

Green Sturgeon

Eulachon (Pacific Smelt)

Threespine Stickleback

Restoring Connectivity Improves:

Economics

Ecosystem Function

Fisheries Health

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