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The Biden administration is making waves when it comes to fish passage projects. To date, the administration has spent more than $970 million on over 600 fish passage projects across the United States, and there's more to come—thanks to funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, the administration has allotted over $3 billion to aquatic ecosystem restoration.
To highlight some of the projects that have been done, the administration released a Storymap showcasing ten transformational projects that have already begun to provide benefits to local communities. The Reviving Rivers, Reconnecting Communities Storymap notes that when completed, these projects will reconnect over 4,500 miles of rivers and streams, spark local economic development, and enhance community resilience.
The Storymap particularly notes that fish passage projects are a powerhouse for local economies. Recent research reveals that for every $1 million invested in fish passage projects, about $1.4 million is returned to local economies, largely due to the jobs these projects generate.
In addition to the economic gains, fish passage projects benefit communities by improving public safety and expanding recreational opportunities, and they restore aquatic ecosystems by removing barriers that disrupt fish migration and cause ecological damage. These investments are especially important in small communities where fish passage projects can be cost-prohibitive for localities to plan, design, and implement on their own.
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Orange, heavy metal water from mines impacts everyone, regardless of political party—this is not a political issue. There’s no constituency for orange water.”
