Session C4- Fish Passage Decision Support System
José Ángel Barrios · ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst (University of Massachusetts Amherst) · 2011
The Fish Passage Decision Support System (FPDSS) is a web-based application developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support the conservation actions of the National Fish Passage Program (NFPP) and provide management tools for the broader fisheries conservation community nationwide. FPDSS was developed in response to recommendations from multiples agencies, partners and organizations to address the urgent need for a national barriers (i.e., dams, culverts, etc.) data base and associated analytical tools to support landscape-scale fish passage planning efforts. The system significantly improves the decision making process by using a geographic information system (GIS) framework for understanding, relating and managing a large volume of complex data. As a management tool, the FPDSS facilitates and provides the framework for effectively addressing current and emerging conservation issues such as stream fragmentation, habitat loss, invasive species and impacts due to climate change. As a communications toolthe FPDSS provides a powerful mechanism for creating awareness and promoting fisheries conservation actions by demonstrating fish passage accomplishments and future funding needs. The FPDSS is a science-driven tool for making cost efficient, transparent decisions about where and bow to expend increasingly limited resources for the maxim urn benefit of aquatic species.