F26AS00105 National Fish Passage Program
The National Fish Passage Program funds projects to remove barriers, restore aquatic connectivity, improve community safety, and boost local economies by supporting native fish and healthy waterways.
Funder: Fish and Wildlife Service
Due Dates: April 30, 2027: Full application deadline — electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM ET on this date
Funding Amounts: Estimated total program funding: $15,000,000 | Award range: $1 to $1,000,000 per project | Up to 100 awards expected
Summary: Supports technical and financial assistance for projects that remove instream barriers, restore aquatic connectivity, and benefit native fish populations and communities.
Key Information: No cost sharing required (except for FRIMA projects); eligibility is broad but some restrictions apply for specific project types.
Description
The National Fish Passage Program (NFPP), administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provides both technical and financial assistance to partners for projects that improve fish passage and restore aquatic habitat connectivity. The program aims to remove barriers such as obsolete infrastructure, replace culverts, restore floodplains, and install fishways to benefit native fish populations, reduce flood risk, improve recreation, and support local economies. Projects are delivered in collaboration with a wide range of partners, including state and local agencies, Tribes, NGOs, other federal agencies, and private landowners.
NFPP projects are expected to be based on sound science, align with Service priorities, and demonstrate meaningful benefits for aquatic habitats and infrastructure resiliency. The program also implements the Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act (FRIMA) for certain projects in the Pacific Northwest, which have additional requirements.
