The upper greenbrier river watershed fish passage project will allow the TU, USFWS, and forest service partnership to remove 7 culverts that act as barriers in the upper greenbrier watershed and…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) awarded a $939,499.54 Cooperative Agreement to Trout Unlimited, Inc. through the National Fish Passage program (CFDA 15.685) to fund the Upper Greenbrier River Watershed Fish Passage Project in West Virginia. The project will remove 7 culverts acting as fish passage barriers and replace them with stream simulation-designed span structures, reconnecting 25 miles of habitat for priority species including brook trout, green floater, eastern hellbender, and candy darter. This effort is part of a 10-year initiative to remove all barriers in the West Fork and East Fork Greenbrier watersheds, creating 105 miles of connected coldwater habitat. The project will enhance ecological resilience, improve flood resilience, and provide recreational opportunities, with benefits to disadvantaged census tracts. Matching funds will be provided by the West Virginia Department of Highways and the USFS Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Legacy Roads and Trails program.

The upper greenbrier river watershed fish passage project will allow the TU, USFWS, and forest service partnership to remove 7 culverts that act as barriers in the upper greenbrier watershed and replace them with stream simulation designed span structures to reconnect 25 miles of habitat for brook trout (regional priority species), green floater (candidate species), eastern hellbender (nrcs working lands for wildlife priority species), and candy darter (federally endangered). This project is part of a larger 10 year effort to remove all barriers in the west fork and east fork greenbrier watersheds to create a network of 105 miles of connected coldwater habitat across a 132 square mile area. The project will open habitat in tributaries as well as provide connectivity along the mainstem, enhancing ecological resiliency to climate change impacts by providing a network of high elevation, coldwater mainstems and tributaries large enough to help sustain this landscape and species. The interconnected watersheds allow for recovery from environmental disturbance and resilience against changing climate scenarios. The project will improve flood resiliency and recreational opportunities in the monongahela national forest and provide multiple benefits for census tracts identified as disadvantaged. Partners include USFS, WV DNR, WV DOH, WV DEP, FWS. Matching funds from wvdoh and USFS BIL legacy roads and trails program will be leveraged as part of this watershed effort. This funding request will fill the funding gaps and move all of these projects to construction. This project is in a swim priority watershed for the northeast region of the service.