FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/12/15
Contact: Ryan Roberts
rroberts@fishwildlife.org<mailto:rroberts@fishwildlife.org>
202-624-5851
2015 “Waters to Watch” Provide Community, Economic
Benefit
9th year of partnership campaign highlights an array of
conservation practices across the U.S.
(Washington, DC) - The National Fish Habitat Partnership
(www.fishhabitat.org<http://www.fishhabitat.org>)
has unveiled its list of 10 “Waters to Watch” for 2015, a collection of rivers,
streams, estuaries, lakes and watershed systems that will benefit from
strategic conservation efforts to protect, restore or enhance their current
condition. These voluntary, locally-driven projects represent conservation
actions in progress implemented under the National Fish Habitat Partnership by
19 regional Fish Habitat Partnerships throughout the country.
The conservation actions implemented through these
projects are designed to conserve freshwater, estuarine and marine habitats
essential to the many fish and wildlife species that call these areas
home. These examples of conservation
have been fundamental to the overall success of the National Fish Habitat
Partnership since 2006.
Throughout the year, these projects will demonstrate how
conservation efforts are reversing persistent declines in our nation’s aquatic
habitats. Having featured 90 partnership projects since 2007, these “Waters to
Watch” are proving that science-based on-the-ground conservation efforts are
truly making a difference in improving fish habitat across the United States.
“Success in conservation often doesn’t happen overnight,”
said Kelly Hepler, Chair of the National Fish Habitat Board. “We are
highlighting these projects today with both long and short-term goals in mind.
We are working through our regional partnerships in an effort to conserve these
great waterways, and reverse declines in suitable fish habitat. In our 9th year
of this annual campaign, we are beginning to see many of our previous projects
named to this list making a real difference. For our 10th Anniversary of the
“Waters to Watch” in 2016, we will highlight some of these dynamic past
projects that are making a positive impact both regionally and nationally.”
People interested in learning more about the National
Fish Habitat Partnership and partner projects happening across the U.S. can
find out more information on how to get involved on our Partnerships Page; http://fishhabitat.org/partnerships.
The 2015 “Waters to Watch” list and associated Fish
Habitat Partnerships:
1)
Alexander Creek Watershed, AK
Partnership:
Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership
http://bit.ly/1dZhlod
Objective: Project goals are to restore Alexander Creek
drainage Chinook salmon numbers in what was previously very productive habitat
and a vibrant fishery. Partners are working to do this through large scale
invasive pike removal and monitoring, as well as detection, education and
eradication of Alaska's first invasive aquatic plant Elodea.
2) Kasilof
and Anchor River Watersheds, AK
Partnership:
Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership
http://bit.ly/1F4OzLE
Objective: The Kenai Peninsula Aquatic Ecosystem
Restoration Project will help restore physical and biological processes within
the Kasilof and Anchor River Watersheds in order to contribute to a healthy,
productive and biologically diverse ecosystem for the benefit of injured
species and services. The project will eliminate four barriers to aquatic
species passage on the Anchor and Kasilof Rivers.
3) Kilchis
Estuary, OR
Partnership: Pacific Marine and
Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership
Objective: Restore freshwater and tidal connections,
provide off-channel rearing habitat for salmonids, and restore historic spruce
swamp habitat. The site provides habitat for coho, Chinook and chum salmon,
steelhead and cutthroat trout as well as a myriad of other wetland species,
including colonial nesting waterbirds, migrating waterfowl, juvenile marine
fishes and resident mammals.
4) Lake
Livingston, TX
Partnership:
Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership
Objective: The overall goal of the project is to
reestablish Lake Livingston as a destination for anglers and other outdoor
recreationists. As such, the project has support from a host of community
leaders. A dedicated core group of volunteer leaders are in place to ensure
that the project continues to move forward garnering additional local support
along the way.
5) Lower
Heeia Stream Habitat Improvement Project, Oahu (HI)
Partnership: Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership
Objective: This project will restore native vegetation in
the tidally influenced portion of Heeia Stream and its adjacent estuary.
Project implementation will involve removal of a large stand of invasive
riparian trees, followed by soil preparation, erosion control and riparian
forest restoration using native plant species.
6) Mill
Creek Restoration, WV
Partnership:
Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture
Objective: The WV Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR)
is mitigating the negative impacts of Super Storms that occurred in 2012 on
Mill Creek, WV, one of the state’s four intact brook trout populations, by
implementing a strategic Large Woody Material “chop and drop” program within
Kumbrabow State Forest, which encompasses approximately 6 stream miles. This project is being completed utilizing the
principles of natural stream restoration to place, and in some instances modify
and anchor, currently hanging trees in the stream as habitat for fish.
7) Pinole
Creek, CA
Partnership:
California Fish Passage Forum|
Objective: The purpose of this project is to restore
access to the upper reaches of Pinole Creek for the current population of
Central California Coast Steelhead by modifying the existing box culverts where
Pinole Creek passes under Interstate Highway 80 (I-80). Habitat assessments conducted on Pinole Creek
in 2009 indicate sufficient habitat to support anadromous steelhead spawning
and rearing if passage issues at the I-80 culvert are remedied. This project
will improve access to nearly 7 miles of documented quality steelhead spawning
and rearing habitat on the main stem of Pinole Creek.
8) Shoshone
Springs Pupfish Habitat Project, CA
Partnership: Desert Fish Habitat Partnership
Objective: The project secured the existence of Shoshone
pupfish in their native range far into the future, and will educate the public
about their importance. The project
quadrupled the habitat area occupied by endemic Shoshone pupfish, benefiting
the entire known population in the one spring, springbrook, and spring
supported riparian system where they naturally occur.
9) Sun
Creek, OR
Partnership:
Western Native Trout Initiative
Objective: To
reestablish redband trout and migratory populations of bull trout to Sun Creek
through improved connectivity, habitat quality and stream and riparian
function. Due to poor connectivity between Sun Creek and the Wood River,
overall habitat degradation, and interactions with non-native salmonids,
redband trout were extirpated from Sun Creek and bull trout populations were
restricted to a short headwater reach. Similar to other Cascade tributaries in
the Upper Klamath Basin, Sun Creek likely supported widespread and abundant
populations of both species.
Reconnecting Sun Creek to the Wood River will allow redband trout to
recolonize Sun Creek and access high quality spawning and rearing habitat. It
will also provide a migratory corridor for the isolated bull trout population
to expand its range, occupy new habitat within Wood River watershed, and
improve overall population resilience.
10) Ulele
Springs on the Hillsborough River, FL
Partnership:
Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership
Objective: The restored Ulele Springs is providing native
wetland vegetation and provide habitat for fish and mammals. To date, numerous native fish and wildlife
has been observed within the basin, which is staring to mimic the anticipated
species richness and diversity of a natural spring run entering an estuarine
ecotone.
For more information on project maps and descriptions of
the 10 Waters to Watch list for 2015, Visit: http://bitly.com/1PCk3eI
Visit the Waters to Watch Homepage for all of our
projects from 2007-2015: http://bit.ly/1HeYzWj
Visit http://bit.ly/1dXvu5l,
to use our interactive habitat data mapper, supported by USGS.
###
About the National Fish Habitat Partnership:
Since 2006, the National Fish Habitat Partnership has
been a partner in 514 projects in 47 states benefiting fish habitat. The
National Fish Habitat Partnership works to conserve fish habitat nationwide,
leveraging federal, state, tribal, and private funding resources to achieve the
greatest impact on fish populations through priority conservation projects. The
national partnership implements the National Fish Habitat Action Plan and
supports 19 regional grassroots partner organizations. For more information
visit:
Ryan Roberts
National Fish Habitat Partnership Communications
Coordinator Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
444 N. Capitol St. NW (Suite 725)
Washington, DC 20001
O: 202.624.5851
C: 202.329.8882
