Trout unlimited (TU) and the US fish and wildlife service (USFWS) will work cooperatively to restore and reconnect salmon and brook trout habitat within the saranac river basin

Trout Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will cooperatively restore and reconnect salmon and brook trout habitat in New York's Saranac River Basin through a $286,018 Cooperative Agreement awarded under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program of the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 5. Key products and services include Trout Unlimited facilitating the removal of barriers to aquatic organism passage in the Lower Saranac River. Additionally, Trout Unlimited and partners will complete a salmon and/or brook trout habitat restoration project using natural channel design. Trout Unlimited will also perform a watershed assessment, develop a management plan, and survey a high priority project to promote future connection and restoration within the Saranac watershed. The award was issued on May 27, 2022 and work will be completed by September 30, 2026.

Three major tasks will be undertaken by this effort. (1) TU will facilitate the removal of barriers to aquatic organism passage in the lower saranac river through project administration, oversight, and coordination. (2) TU, USFWS, and partners will complete a salmon and/or brook trout habitat restoration project through natural channel design. (3) lastly, TU will complete a watershed assessment, management plan, and survey of a high priority project to promote future connection and restoration projects within the saranac watershed. Following this cooperative project, the vision for TU is to continue working with partners throughout the watershed to achieve restoration outcomes developed through the watershed management plan and other shared objectives identified by USFWS.