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Fish Passage Culvert Best Practices - aopMAP and the National Culvert Removal, Replacement & Restoration Grants

Justin Lennon
WSP USA Inc.
Pittsburgh, PA

Authors:
Justin Lennon - WSP USA, Inc, Pittsburgh, PA
Casey Kramer - Natural Waters LLC, Olympia, WA
Steve Morrow - FHWA Western Federal Lands Highway Division, Vancouver, WA
James Neighorn - FHWA Western Federal Lands Highway Division, Vancouver
Sven Leon - FHWA Western Federal Lands Highway Division, Vancouver
Jennifer Mora - FHWA Western Federal Lands Highway Division, Vancouver
Sarah Smith - WSP USA, Inc, Baltimore, MD

AOP (Aquatic Organism Passage) water crossing design is an evolving field that combines the built environment with the natural world to produce resilient infrastructure while also providing environmental benefits, specifically related to the passage of fish and other aquatic organisms. The design and construction of AOP water crossings is gaining popularity across the US, as environmental agencies, tribal entities, and infrastructure owners seek improved approaches to road-stream crossing designs. Providing effective AOP at water crossings represents a significant investment and management priority for various agencies across the country. In support of AOP implementation, the National Culvert Removal, Replacement & Restoration Grant program was set as a new annual competitive grant program focused on the improvement of passage for anadromous fish. The grant program places an emphasis on restoring access to aquatic habitat and on monitoring the success of the funded fish passage projects.

This presentation will provide a discussion of both the Grant program and of aopMAP (aquatic organism passage Monitoring & Assessment Protocol), a standardized AOP monitoring protocol that has been developed by FHWA Western Federal Lands with the support of WSP and Natural Waters. Data collection has been underway with aopMAP on sites from Alaska to Maine. As billions of additional dollars are made available to replace aging infrastructure, monitoring the effectiveness and sustainability of water crossings over time becomes increasingly more important in ensuring passage goals are achieved and maintained. With design approaches varying across the world, a consistent protocol for monitoring and assessment of performance data becomes essential in helping environmental agencies, infrastructure owners, and tribal entities understand failures and successes. We will discuss the new technologies being implemented in monitoring, lessons learned, and observations on design and construction best practices from early adopter sites. The presentation will conclude with discussions on next steps, including integration of biological assessment protocols, long-term research goals, and opportunities for partner agencies to become involved in the project. The project team envisions the results of the research study to be utilized nationwide for improving AOP water crossing design and preservation best practices.