The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced more $70M in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for fish passage projects around the nation. This announcement included money for the Cherry Creek Fish Passage project, in the La Plata Watershed, which provides more than $700,000 in funding to remove a 60-foot galvanized steel culvert that currently blocks the migration and movement of three species that are in Colorado’s State Wildlife Action Plan and are critical to Colorado’s aquatic ecosystems. 

“All wildlife habitats have been fragmented by human development activities and fish are especially vulnerable to these fragmentations.  Reopening their ancestral pathways by removing migration barriers is critical for their continued existence,” Southern Ute Fisheries Biologist, Ben Zimmerman said. 

Friday, May 10, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director, Martha Williams joined partners from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Trout Unlimited, La Plata County and The Nature Conservancy for a formal project dedication of the Cherry Creek Fish Passage in Southwest Colorado. The project, once complete, will restore habitat connectivity and reduce flooding in nearby communities. This site visit gave key personnel in wildlife resource management a chance to see the project first-hand. 

“Movement and migration to complete seasonal cycles are important to many different species of fish and wildlife in our region,” Southern Ute Wildlife Division Head, Aran Johnson said. “We appreciate our neighboring agencies working on projects, like this fish passage, that benefit the resource by removing obstacles to those movements.” 

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Cherry Creek culvert, once taken out, will be replaced by a bottomless structure that allows fish of all species and age classes to pass. It will also open approximately 15-20 miles of habitat for roundtail chub, bluehead sucker, and flannelmouth sucker, more than doubling the amount of three-species habitat in the La Plata River watershed.  

“Projects of this type are only possible by creating partnerships; thanks to La Plata County for their contribution and a special thanks to CPW, namely Jim White (Aquatic Biologist), for spear heading this project,” Zimmerman said. “Knowing that I was part of reconnecting some of the historic range for these fish will be a highlight for my career.”