ODFW seeks public comment on updated draft statewide Priority Fish Passage Barrier list
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.
Below are links to the current draft documents:
The final draft list will be presented to the Fish Passage Task Force (Task Force) at their meeting on March 7th. The Task Force will be asked to make a recommendation to the Fish and Wildlife Commission (OFWC) for their consideration in April 2025. A public comment period is open until Feb. 28, 2025 for people to provide their input on the draft Priority List. 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 will be shared with the Task Force to consider prior to making their recommendations at the March 7th meeting. ODFW staff plan to present the updated Draft Priority List to the OFWC for their consideration at the April 18, 2025, meeting in Winchester Bay. Submit public comments by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 28, 2025 via email to Fish.Passage@ODFW.Oregon.Gov or by mail to: ODFW Fish Passage Program, 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, Salem, Oregon 97302.
2024 Presentations to the Fish Passage Task Force
Public Comment Period from November 7 to November 28, 2024
ODFW held a public comment period in November of 2024. Below are links to the draft list, draft methods paper for review, the news release, and public comments received during that period.
Previous Public Comment Period from July 5 to July 31, 2023
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) began the update to the Statewide Fish Passage Barrier Priority List in 2023. This update intended to enhance accuracy and effectiveness of fish passage restoration at priority projects across the state of Oregon. A key feature of the update was to consider how to incorporate the effects of future climate change into the scoring methods. Below is the news release and public comments received during the 2023 public comment period.
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