Vermont: Mettawee River
When the final barrier on the Mettawee River in Vermont came out in 2023, the river was reconnected from its headwaters in the Green Mountain National Forest all the way to Lake Champlain.
Trout Unlimited & the Forest Service:
A Partnership That Works
In 2022, Trout Unlimited and the Forest Service embarked on a five-year $40 million national initiative to increase the scale of watershed restoration on our national forests and grasslands—home to many of America’s most important native trout and salmon species and the source of drinking water for some 180 million people and 68,000 communities.
Across the country, we are cleaning up abandoned mines, removing barriers to fish passage, improving stream habitat—work that helps communities address flood and wildfire risks, and creates family-wage jobs and a stronger outdoor recreation economy.
Made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, this work builds on a long-standing partnership between the Forest Service and TU.
Where we’re working
Measures of success
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Invested in coldwater conservation
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Projects in progress
What they’re saying
“Our agreement with Trout Unlimited continues our joint success as stewards of national forests and grasslands. Our partnership is not just about cleaning a stream or increasing fish population. It’s life sustaining work that is as vital to aquatic species as it is to people and communities. When our natural resources are healthy, we are healthy as a nation and as individuals.”
“This agreement builds on a long and productive partnership between the Forest Service and Trout Unlimited. Together over the years, we have already restored more than 400 miles of important fish habitat, reconnected more than 700 miles of habitat by removing barriers to fish migration, and improved hundreds of thousands of acres of National Forest System lands. We are excited to continue and expand on this work over the coming years.”
How we’re helping
Fish habitat: By reconnecting rivers and streams, we help fish find their way to spawning grounds and coldwater tributaries.
Flood resiliency: By replacing faulty culverts, we help communities avoid road washouts and flooding.
Wildfire recovery and resiliency: By improving floodplain and watershed health, we are making the land more resilient to catastrophic wildfire and helping burned areas recover quicker after wildfire hits.
Abandoned mines: We’re cleaning up one of the nation’s most pervasive form of water pollution: drainage from historic ownerless mines.
Clean water: It all flows downstream. By restoring headwaters, we provide clean water for communities, agricultural producers and businesses.
Jobs: We create family-wage jobs, hire local contractors, and boost outdoor recreation economies that support rural communities.
Success stories
Works in progress
Michigan: Upper Peninsula
Federal infrastructure funding is fueling restoration of streams in Michigan to provide cooler habitat for trout and increased flood resilience for rural communities.
Colorado: Monarch Park Ponds
This ambitious endeavor was not just about restoring lost fishing access, but also about rejuvenating an ecosystem that has faced challenges for 15 years.
Montana: Mill Creek
In one of the largest tributaries of the Upper Yellowstone, TU is working to protect native cutthroat from a growing threat.
Tennessee: Cherokee National Forest
A new bridge exemplifies how TU biologists and Forest Service engineers are collaborating on projects that help both infrastructure and fisheries.
Georgia: Suches Creek
TU and the Forest Service are teaming up to repair a mud-bogged road running straight through a wild trout stream.
In the news
- AP: Forest Service, Trout Unlimited eye stream restoration on forest lands
- New Mexico Political Report: Out of the ashes: Crews work to improve habitat to Gila trout
- Bozeman CBS TV: TU on a mission to protect native cutthroat trout populations in Montana waters
- Science Friday: Salmon flourish after mine damage restored in Alaska
- Steamboat Pilot: TU project seeks to bring native cutthroat back to Lost Dog Creek
- Duluth Fox TV: Working for the benefit of people and fish
Keep exploring
More than 40 percent of trout streams in the United States flow through the 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands. In recent years, TU has leveraged $20 million in Forest Service funding to carry out $62 million worth of projects. With more than $60 million in new investments over five years, we are making forest watersheds healthier, improving water quality downstream, and supporting family-wage jobs in largely rural communities.