AQUATIC CONNECTIVITY IN THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN WATERSHED HAS BEEN GREATLY REDUCED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS OVER THE PAST 150 YEARS. SURVEY DATA FROM THE VERMONT FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT INDICATE THAT MORE THAN 90% OF ROAD STREAM CROSSINGS POSE SOME TYPE OF OBSTACLE TO AQUATIC CONNECTIVITY. CURRENTLY THERE ARE MORE THAN 1200 DAMS IN THE STATE OF VERMONT, MANY OF WHICH NO LONGER SERVE ANY USEFUL PURPOSE. IN-STREAM BARRIERS SUCH AS PERCHED CULVERTS AND DAMS BLOCK MOVEMENT TO SPAWNING HABITAT, DECREASES ACCESS TO COLD WATER REFUGIA, AND GREATLY LIMIT THE ABILITY OF AQUATIC SPECIES TO RECOLONIZE STREAM HABITATS AFTER FLOODING EVENTS.IN THE PAST 10 YEARS SAINT MICHAELS COLLEGE (SMC) HAS WORKED IN COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (SERVICE), AND NUMEROUS OTHER PARTNERS TO IMPROVE AQUATIC CONNECTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN WATERSHED. SMC AND THE SERVICE HAVE WORKED IN CONCERT TO IDENTIFY, ASSESS, SURVEY, EVALUATE AND IMPLEMENT OVER 25 AQUATIC CONNECTIVITY PROJECTS, OPENING OVER 200 MILES OF STREAM HABITAT TO AQUATIC SPECIES. SMC PROPOSES TO CONTINUE AND BUILD UPON THE EXISTING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SERVICE THROUGH THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN HABITAT RESTORATION AND ASSESSMENT PROJECT.