Chautauqua Creek has high quality spawning habitat for several native Great Lakes fish, including white sucker, smallmouth bass and naturalized steelhead. Three fish barriers hampered upstream fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.

Learn more about fish passage . The lowermost passage barrier was a perched railroad bridge crossing; the middle barrier was the remnant of a former water control dam; and the uppermost barrier is a diversion dam that supplies water to the Village of Westfield, NY. The objective of this project was to utilize in-stream rock ramp construction to allow fish upstream passage over the three barriers. Boulders will be pinned at each location to ensure that the project does not fail during high flows. A v-notch weir was cut in the middle passage barrier. Grooves for stop logs were added as a control measure for sea lamprey. Partners included Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District, Chautauqua County Department of Public Facilities, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Village of Westfield, Western New York Trout Unlimited and Great Lakes Basin Fish Habitat Partnership.

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Steelhead are usually dark olive in color, shading to silvery white on the underside with a heavily speckled body and a pink-to-red stripe running along their sides.

Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) belong to the family Salmonidae which includes all salmon, trout, and chars. Steelhead are similar to some Pacific salmon in their life cycle and ecological requirements. They are born in fresh water streams, where they spend their first 1-3 years of life....

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A person is walks through a large wide culvert that passes under a gravel road. A small river runs through the culvert.
Across the country, millions of barriers are fragmenting rivers, blocking fish migration, and putting communities at higher risk to flooding. Improving fish passage is one of the most effective ways to help conserve vulnerable species while building safer infrastructure for communities and...
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Juvenile Northern Pike in aquarium at Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery, South Dakota
The Fish and Aquatic Conservation program leads aquatic conservation efforts for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We are committed to tackling the nation’s highest priority aquatic conservation and recreational challenges to conserve, restore, and enhance fisheries for future generations.
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