{"id":21,"date":"2018-07-24T19:59:13","date_gmt":"2018-07-24T23:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/virtuallearn.wpengine.com\/fishpassagejointcommittee\/?page_id=21"},"modified":"2023-04-12T12:46:26","modified_gmt":"2023-04-12T16:46:26","slug":"what-is-aquatic-organism-passage-fish-passage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/oldunitsstaging.fisheries.org\/fishpassagejointcommittee\/about\/what-is-aquatic-organism-passage-fish-passage\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Aquatic Organism Passage\/Fish Passage?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fish Gotta Swim<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fish need to move.\u00a0 Salmon, trout, herring, sturgeon, paddlefish, hilsa, largemouth yellowfish \u2013 across the world, many types of fish move between and within waterways during their various life stages in order to forage, reproduce, and find safety from predators and extreme conditions.\u00a0 For some of these species, two or more migrations are compulsory in order for these species to complete their life cycle.\u00a0 Without these movements, populations can be severely reduced.<\/p>\n

Aquatic Organism Passage<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fish aren\u2019t the only organisms that need to move \u2013 other organisms, including mussels, turtles, crayfish, and even aquatic insects, move within and between aquatic systems.\u00a0 So while the most common term for the work we do to facilitate this movement is \u201cFish Passage\u201d, it\u2019s more accurate to call it Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP).<\/p>\n

So What IS Fish Passage (or AOP)?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every dam, tide gate, and road that crosses a river, lake, or estuary, forms a potential barrier to passage.\u00a0 Water diversions (such as hydroelectric canals, irrigation canals for agriculture, municipal water supply diversions, industrial canals, and flood abatement diversions) can also lead aquatic species away from the natural channel, where they may be trapped or expend to much energy to complete their journey.\u00a0 Thus, these diversions can also serve as a type of barrier.<\/p>\n

Simply put, AOP\/Fish Passage is the removal of barriers to movement through and between bodies of water.\u00a0 This can include dam removal, road removal, or enlargement of culverts and tide gates to allow more natural flows through these barriers.\u00a0 Sometimes the barrier can\u2019t be removed, but can be modified to allow some organisms to pass safely.\u00a0 This type of solution can include various types of fish ladders or fish lifts to provide upstream passage for fish, rock ramps or nature-like fishways to allow more natural passage past dams, or nets and guidance systems to provide safer downstream fish passage at hydroelectric dams.<\/p>\n

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An Alaskan Steeppass Fishway<\/p><\/div>\n

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Additional Benefits of AOP <\/strong><\/p>\n

Removing or replacing barriers to AOP don\u2019t just benefit fish and invertebrates.\u00a0 They can provide benefits to human health and safety, as well as the entire ecosystem the barrier is located in.<\/p>\n

Additional benefits of barrier removal include:<\/p>\n