LDWF hosted a culvert assessment training course at the Booker Fowler Fish Hatchery in Forest Hill in December. Administered by the Southeast Aquatic Resource Partnership (SARP), the training prepared members of the newly formed LA Aquatic Connectivity Team (La ACT) to identify opportunities for improving connectivity and passage of game fish, nongame fish, freshwater mussels, and other aquatic organisms.
Culvert assessments conducted in Louisiana by La ACT partners on the ground will feed data into a digital tool created and maintained by SARP that allows partners to identify and prioritize water and aquatic animal barriers, to become more competitive for fish passage and infrastructure grants, and to work with partners to remove or replace barriers. Removing fish passage barriers improves the health and resilience of aquatic communities in streams, increases recreational opportunities, and replaces aging and/or inadequate infrastructure. Added benefits to barrier removal include reduced maintenance costs and reduced flood potential because culverts that are barriers to fish passage are also often inadequate for drainage.
LDWF biologists were joined by Louisiana Aquatic Connectivity Team partners from the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, LSU, and the University of Southern MS.
More information on aquatic connectivity and barrier inventories and prioritization can be found at https://aquaticbarriers.org/.
For information how your organization can participate in the LA Aquatic Connectivity Team, email Robby Maxwell at rmaxwell@wlf.la.gov.