Evaluating the success of new rock ramp fish passages and prioritization of tributaries for barrier removals in the Saginaw Bay watershed

Construction of fish passages are rapidly becoming the dominant initiatives associated with Great Lakes fishery and ecosystem restoration. Assessment of the success and impacts of these activities on fish is, however, lacking. The project was designed to 1) evaluate the success of a recently built (Shiawassee River) and a pending (Cass River) rock ramp fish passage, 2) prioritize regional rivers for future restoration activities, and (3) quantify changes in the river habitat and fish assemblage composition.