1. Barriers to Aquatic Organism Movement in the LCB
Kyle Bradford
Ethan McElwain
Bradley Stewart

2. Problem Statement
Barriers influence populations of aquatic organisms by restricting or altering their movement through the Lake Champlain Basin.

3. Purpose Statement
Our goal is to determine the effect of barriers to movement of aquatic organisms on the varied habitats represented in the LCB, and in doing so, determine and justify impact filter scores which will be used in the Lake Champlain Regional Relative Eco-Risk Assessment Model.  

4. Barrier Subcategories
Dams
Roads
Culverts

5. Dams Wetlands Open Water Dams affect hydrology
Altered flood regime
Siltation
Open Water
Dams affecting migratory fish
Imperial Dam
Salmon
Swanton Dam
Lake Sturgeon
Walleye

6. Dams Cont. Winooski One Dam
Barrier to salmon and steelhead rainbow trout
In 1993 fish passage facility built

7. Roads

9. Roads Cont. Physical barriers to slow moving animals
Open space leads to vulnerability
Attract certain species
Increased downstream sedimentation
Scale

11. Culverts
Used to allow water to pass underneath roads, railways, or embankments.
Raised up disrupts stream connectivity
Gap is created where water falls
Aquatic organisms cannot jump up into culvert
Restricts movement to downstream only
Gap from raised culverts not the only problem
Too long, narrow, or steep

12. Raised vs. “Natural” Culvert

13. Culverts cont.
Aquatic organisms cannot migrate upstream to spawn or reach food sources
Diminishing species
Less rich species diversity
Less than 2% of 465 culverts assessed in VT classified as “completely passible”
Brook trout, salmon, mussels, salamander species, minnows, suckers, smelt, and others (Bates & Kirn 2009)

14. Impact Link Matrix Stressor Habitat Developed Land Forest Herbaceous
Agriculture
Wetlands
Open Water<6ft
Open Water >6ft
Streams and Rivers
Lakes and Ponds
Roads 1
0.5
Dams
Culverts

15. Impact Importance Matrix
Sressor
Habitat
Developed Land
Forest
Herbaceous
Agriculture
Wetlands
Open Water<6ft
Open Water >6ft
Streams and Rivers
Lakes and Ponds
Roads 2
0.5
Dams 1
Culverts

16. Recommendations/Conclusions
Further study to determine the magnitude of effects posed by the barriers within the basin.
Swanton Dam and Imperial Dam priority for removal.
Increase signage on roads.
“Smarter” design of new dams, roads, and culverts.

17. Image Sources in Order of Occurrence

18. Questions