WashDOT Fish Barrier Removal

Our March club meeting featured Todd Carlson of the Washington Department of Transportation presenting an overview of the state's effort to remove barriers to fish passage. Operating under a federal court injunction, the state must make significant progress in barrier removal by 2030. There is little disagreement about the value of removal of barriers. These projects yield more benefits than improved fish passage. The primary hinderance to their achievement is funding. Under normal economic conditions finding the required funding would be hard; with a decrease in tax revenue due to the reduced economy that has accompanied the pandemic, the funding challenge is magnified. Todd does a great job presenting the goals and challenges in a concise and understandable manner. Check out the video of his presentation below.