Since 2023, we have partnered with the Bridger-Teton National Forest to inventory and assess culverts, bridges, and irrigation diversions across headwater streams, laying the groundwork to reconnect fragmented aquatic habitats. This season, we were fortunate to have Coombs intern, Mars Flores, join our team to help survey more than 200 barriers throughout the BTNF!
All survey data is recorded in the National Aquatic Barrier Inventory, a nationwide database that ranks barriers based on severity to help prioritize restoration projects. Through this work, we identify structures like perched culverts (like those shown above) that block fish from accessing upstream habitats in tributaries. These tributaries provide critical spawning habitat and important cold-water refuge during periods of high temperatures in downstream rivers. Perched culverts often reflect undersized or poorly designed infrastructure that alters stream flow and causes bank erosion, leading to scour pools and elevated culvert outlets. Over time, this erosion can become severe enough to completely block upstream fish passage.
We are grateful for our continued partnership with the Bridger-Teton National Forest as we work to reconnect vital aquatic habitats and strengthen watershed resilience. Learn more in this recent feature from the Jackson Hole News & Guide: https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/environmental/local/260-and-counting-barriers-to-trout-mobility-identified-on-streams-in-the-snake-river-headwaters/article_f7e1b7ba-98c4-4756-ab4f-9d13107b3a55.html