Cumulative Habitat Length Above Roads

Step Wise Guide

Transportation/Energy

· What is the cumulative length and quality of fish habitat above every road crossing in my watershed?

It is often important to know how much fish habitat is located above any particular stream crossing. Road crossing culverts can be barriers to fish migration and movement, up and downstream. Culvert replacement programs (restoration) could be prioritized depending on how much habitat (and its quality) is located above each and every road crossing, that might be a barrier to fish. NetMap contains a tool for quickly determining this.

Step 1: Go to NetMap Aquatic Habitats Module > Create Aquatic Habitats. Select any one of the available habitat models for anadromous or resident fish. Make sure you define the correct fish distribution for your species of interest in Basic Tools > Define Fish Distribution.

Step 2. Make sure you have an up to date road layer loaded into NetMap. All NetMap datasets come preloaded with a road layer. However, you can import a new road layer at:

Road Module > Import Road Layer.

Step 2: Go to NetMap Road Modue > Upstream - Downstream Habitat. This tool allows one to quickly calculate the cumulative upstream habitat (in km).