A culvert replacement project in Delaware County, New York, addressed stream-flow, erosion, sediment, and fish-passage problems along an unnamed tributary to the Little Delaware River. The failing 7-foot-diameter metal culvert was replaced with a 9-by-13-foot concrete box culvert designed to accommodate additional flow, reduce erosion, and improve aquatic connectivity. After construction, the new structure received a 0.88 aquatic passability score under the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) protocol, placing it in the “insignificant barrier” category.

Cortland County projects fit into a broader New York effort to identify and address barriers to aquatic organism passage. New York's Department of Environmental Conservation has…

A culvert replacement project in Delaware County, New York, addressed stream-flow, erosion, sediment, and fish-passage problems along an unnamed tributary to the Little Delaware…