In 2024, the Legislature created an Adopt-a-Fish-Passage program to increase the pace and scale that barriers to fish passage on Washington’s waterways are removed.

Fish are often blocked from migration by culverts (structures that carry streams under roads), dams, dikes, and other obstructions. These blockages reduce the amount of habitat available to fish, including endangered salmon and steelhead.

You Can Help!

The new program enables the Washington State Department of Transportation and county, city, and town governments to accept donations to help with removing fish passage barriers.

Donations may be money or land and will be recognized publicly at the fish passage site after the project is finished. Governments are encouraged to use these donations to match to state grants such as the Brian Abbot Fish Barrier Removal Board grants.

Recognition Levels

Donors are recognized when they contribute the following:

  • $10,000 or greater-A sign will be placed at the site acknowledging the donor or donors and their organizations.
  • $100,000 or greater-A sign will be placed at the site acknowledging the donor or donors and their organizations, and the donor will receive a special recognition plaque signed by the Governor.

Adopt a Project

The projects on this list are intended to be implemented between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2027. If interested in adopting one of these projects, contact the project sponsor or lead entity directly.

To register a completed fish passage project in the Adopt-a-Fish-Passage recognition program, complete the project enrollment form.

Program Questions

Christy Rains, assistant section manager, 360-865-7221

Ben Donatelle, policy specialist, 360-867-8331

Statewide Fish Passage Organizations

The following partner organizations may provide helpful information, resources, and assistance in addressing fish passage barriers. They also may be able to connect potential donors with an active or planned project.

Washington State Department of Transportation

The Washington State Department of Transportation corrects fish barriers under state highways to help salmon recovery and comply with state laws. Since 1991, the department has corrected hundreds of barriers that have restored access to more than one thousand miles of fish habitat.

Fixing fish barriers and opening habitat allows more salmon and steelhead at all life stages to access important spawning and rearing habitat, including areas that have been inaccessible for years. Installing structures like bridges and culverts (structures that carry streams under roads) allows for natural stream processes, which help protect and restore salmon runs, ultimately benefiting both the Pacific Northwest landscape and economy. Visit the department’s fish passage website for more information.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is working statewide to correct barriers to fish passage. The department maintains a database of fish passage information, as well as habitat data, for planning fish passage and habitat restoration projects.

The database represents a snapshot of conditions in a dynamic environment that is subject to change. Fish passage data are collected from a variety of agencies and sources. Therefore, the department makes no guarantee concerning the data’s content, accuracy, completeness, or the results and assumes no liability for the data represented. Read more information about fish passage inventory, assessment, and prioritization on the department’s website or email department staff.

Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board

The department and RCO jointly administer the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board grant program to identify and remove barriers to salmon and steelhead migration. The board evaluates projects and submits a priority project list to the Governor’s Office and the Legislature for funding consideration. The board’s grant program has invested more than $121 million in 117 projects to remove barriers since 2014. Visit the grant web page for more information.

Salmon Recovery Lead Entities

Lead entities are watershed-based groups that develop strategies to restore salmon habitat and then recruit organizations to do the work.

Salmon Recovery Regional Organizations

Regional salmon recovery organizations prepare locally based recovery plans, oversee and monitor implementation, and track and report on accomplishments.