Under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, federal agencies that plan and construct water development projects are required to coordinate with the Fish and Wildlife Service concerning impacts to fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. The agencies must give equal consideration to the conservation recommendations developed by the Fish and Wildlife Service and incorporate them into project designs. We provide input for project planning and environmental review of these projects by:

• coordinating with our counterparts in other federal and state agencies,

• participating in field assessments,

• reviewing project designs,

• analyzing impacts,

• and developing recommendations for fish and wildlife conservation.
  

Participation in this process allows us to:

• assist federal water development agencies in designing projects which avoid, minimize, or compensate for adverse impacts to fish and wildlife resources;
  

• avert or minimize project delays and/or conflicts;
  

• discourage the construction of environmentally unsound projects.