Climate change is not waiting for us on some distant day. It’s here now. For trout and salmon, the problem is clear enough at the most basic level.
Trout and salmon rely on cold, clean water in a world that is rapidly warming.
The good news is that the work TU has been doing for years is exactly what is needed to address climate impacts on wild and native fish.
What’s more, all this work has multiple benefits. We are reducing community flooding and wildfire risk while also improving fish and wildlife habitat. Saving farmers money while keeping more water in the streams for trout and migrating salmon. Storing water naturally for agricultural irrigation while providing cold water at key times for trout.
By removing obsolete dams, replacing road culverts blocking fish passage, and upgrading irrigation infrastructure, we reconnect habitat, increase in-stream flows, and provide fish access to thermal refuges during summer heat spells, fires, and drought.
By creating structures that mimic beaver dams, adding in-stream structures and bends to build deep pools, and restoring wet meadows, we reconnect streams to their floodplains, create natural wildfire breaks, and enhance trout and salmon habitat.
By restoring streamside vegetation—by doing something TU people have done for years: planting trees—we keep temperatures cooler and waters healthier and help to take carbon out of the atmosphere.
We believe the most complex and seemingly insurmountable challenges can be solved when people come together and get to work. Help us do the good work of fixing America’s rivers and streams for the benefit of anglers, families, and local communities.
How You Can Help
