Meeting in the middle of the stream: removing fish passage barriers in Missouri.

Moderator:  John Fantz, Streams Biologist, Missouri Department of Conservation, S. Limit, Sedalia, MO 65301. (660) 530-5500. John.Fantz@mdc.mo.gov

Many low water crossing structures in Missouri are barriers to movements of aquatic organisms. Fish populations risk segmentation; hampering intrapopulation movements, seasonal migrations and limiting access to potential habitats during drought or flood years. These crossing structures are built and maintained by local municipalities which have to consider an entire suite of other human risks. These include ensuring access for emergency vehicles and school buses to rural residents and maintaining miles of infrastructure and utilities on limited budgets. Natural resource agencies have been working in partnership with county governments, engineering firms and other partners to improve passage in these structures. Designs utilized in several Missouri counties are reducing the risks to both aquatic organisms and human populations. A suite of funding partners have contributed to constructing these new structures. This session will highlight impacts of low water crossing barriers, benefits of new designs on aquatic organisms, funding opportunities and partnership potentials. An open forum at the end will be used to discuss where we're collectively heading with fish passage in Missouri.

Organizer:   Joanne Grady, Branch Chief – Fish Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 101 Park DeVille Drive, Suite A, Columbia, MO 65203. 573/445-5001 ext. 21. Joanne_Grady@fws.gov

Presentations:

1:00-1:20 pm	Road crossings and Niangua darter recovery efforts: A bridge to the future Craig Fuller – Missouri Department of Conservation
1:20-1:40 pm	Worth the Risks: Improving Road Crossings to Benefit Threatened Niangua darters and Associated Stream Systems Doug Novinger – Missouri Department of Conservation
1:40-2:00 pm	Niangua darter movement past potential barriers Cody McCleary and Daniel Beckman, Missouri State University
2:00-2:40 pm	Funding Crossings with Natural Resource and Mitigation Dollars Paul Calvert - Missouri Department of Conservation Joanne Grady – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Melissa Scheperle - Missouri Department of Transportation
2:40-3:00 pm	Where Do We Go From Here? – Open Discussion Joanne Grady – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service