Funds under this grant award will be used to conduct and coordinate all freshwater fisheries management activities within south carolina, including survey and inventory, fish habitat enhancement,…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) awarded $2,943,060 to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) under the Sport Fish Restoration program (CFDA 15.605) effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. This Formula Grant funds comprehensive freshwater fisheries management activities throughout South Carolina, encompassing survey and inventory operations, fish habitat enhancement initiatives, technical guidance provision, and interagency coordination efforts. SCDNR will utilize these resources to conduct annual statewide research and assessment of freshwater fish populations across the state's extensive network of lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams to ensure that management decisions—including creel limits, size restrictions, predator introductions, and fish stocking schedules—are based on current, reliable biological data.

The Sport Fish Restoration program, funded through excise taxes on fishing equipment and related sources, supports state-level conservation and management of sport fish populations and associated recreational opportunities. This award represents part of SCDNR's substantial federal portfolio with USFWS, which totals approximately $30 million annually and supports multiple conservation initiatives including hatchery operations, ecosystem monitoring, and endangered species programs across South Carolina's aquatic ecosystems.

Funds under this grant award will be used to conduct and coordinate all freshwater fisheries management activities within south carolina, including survey and inventory, fish habitat enhancement, technical guidance, and coordination. South carolina contains an abundance of freshwater in lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. The freshwater fisheries section of the south carolina department of natural resources is charged with the management of the fisheries resources within state waters. In order to provide for the management, protection and enhancement of the state s freshwater fisheries resources, scdnr needs to annually assess the condition of fishes through a statewide research and survey project. This project will insure that management measures, such as creel and size limits, predator introduction and fish stocking schedules are based on reliable, up-to-date information.