Essex county department of public works (essex county DPW) and the U.S. Fish and wildlife service (USFWS) will work cooperatively to restore enhance and reconnect riverine habitat within the boquet…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) awarded a $500,000 Cooperative Agreement under the National Fish Passage Program (CFDA 15.685) to the Essex County Department of Public Works (Essex County DPW) to restore and reconnect riverine habitat within the Boquet River Watershed in Essex County, New York. The project will replace an existing dual culvert crossing over the North Branch of the Boquet River with a 120-foot bridge, which will remove an aquatic passage barrier and open 49 upstream miles of river and coldwater tributary habitat for native brook trout, American eel, and landlocked Atlantic salmon. This habitat restoration effort aims to improve water quality, public safety, and natural stream function in the watershed, which has been identified as a priority area for aquatic organism passage restoration by the USFWS. The project has a completion date of December 31, 2026.

Essex county department of public works (essex county DPW) and the U.S. Fish and wildlife service (USFWS) will work cooperatively to restore enhance and reconnect riverine habitat within the boquet river watershed in essex county NY. This project will replace an existing dual culvert crossing over the north branch of the bouquet river with a 120 foot bridge. Current conditions include a perched invert aquatic passage barrier a sheet pile cut off wall aquatic barrier and complete fragmentation of bank and flood plain connectivity for aquatic and terrestrial passage. The current combined opening of 32 feet represents a drastic constriction for the estimated 85 foot bankfull width of the river at that location. Removal of this barrier will open 49 upstream miles of river and coldwater tributary habitat for native brook trout american EEL and landlocked atlantic salmon. This project will also improve water quality and public safety as well as restore natural stream function within the north branch of the bouquet river identified as an aquatic organism passage restoration focus area by the USFWS.