National

Aquatic Barrier Inventory & Prioritization Tool

Aquatic Barrier Tool

Southeast Region

Southeast region map
Map of 345,522 inventoried dams and 18,501 road-related barriers likely to impact aquatic organisms in the Southeast region.

Includes 15 states, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands with:

345,522 inventoried dams, including:

  • 30,086 that have been reconned for social feasibility of removal
  • 347 that have been removed or mitigated, gaining 23,332 miles of reconnected rivers and streams

1,996,172 or more potential road-related aquatic barriers, including:

  • 41,068 that have been assessed for impacts to aquatic organisms
  • 18,501 that are likely to impact aquatic organisms
  • 339 that have been removed or mitigated, gaining 3,341 miles of reconnected rivers and streams

Progress toward restoring aquatic connectivity:

year removed
show:miles gained|number removed
2024
0.11 miles*
2023
622 miles*
2022
1,127 miles*
2021
642 miles*
2020
128 miles*
2010-2019
14,000 miles*
2000-2009
6,560 miles*
before 2000
2,161 miles*
unknown
1,432 miles*
dams
road-related barriers
* includes 88 dams and / or road-related barriers that could not be correctly located on the aquatic network or were otherwise excluded from the analysis; these contribute toward the count but not the miles gained.
Note: counts above may include both completed as well as active barrier removal or mitigation projects.
Explore how many dams or road-related barriers there are in a state, county, or watershed.
Explore dams and road-related barriers that have been removed or mitigated by state, county, or watershed.
Identify and rank dams or road-related barriers that reconnect the most high-quality aquatic networks.

Southeast Aquatic Connectivity Program

The Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership  (SARP) was formed by the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) to protect aquatic resources across political boundaries as many of our river systems cross multiple jurisdictional boundaries. SARP works with partners to protect, conserve, and restore aquatic resources including habitats throughout the Southeast for the continuing benefit, use, and enjoyment of the American people. SARP is also one of the first Fish Habitat Partnerships under the the National Fish Habitat Partnership umbrella that works to conserve and protect the nation's fisheries and aquatic systems through a network of 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships.

Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge

SARP and partners within the region have been working for several years to compile a comprehensive inventory of aquatic barriers across the region. This inventory is the foundation of SARP's Connectivity Program because it empowers Aquatic Connectivity Teams and other collaborators with the best available information on aquatic barriers.

SARP logo

Statistics by state:

Inventoried damsReconned damsAssessed road-related barriers
Alabama25,7131,3934,240
Arkansas11,1765034,047
Florida7,0901,9121,686
Georgia55,8377,6951,870
Kentucky10,189123949
Louisiana6,6481841,849
Mississippi24,5393,6911,018
Missouri23,234139,513
North Carolina28,3524,7572,329
Oklahoma32,25918791
Puerto Rico3947728
South Carolina18,1287,8373,024
Tennessee8,7261,1192,387
Texas70,71457593
U.S. Virgin Islands818120
Virginia21,7166853,875
West Virginia726112,149
Total345,52230,08641,068

28,497 inventoried dams and 7,508 assessed road-related barriers were not analyzed because they could not be correctly located on the aquatic network or were otherwise excluded from the analysis. You can optionally include these in your download.

Note: These statistics are based on inventoried dams and road-related barriers. Because the inventory is incomplete in many areas, areas with a high number of dams may simply represent areas that have a more complete inventory.


How to get involved?

SARP and partners have been working to build a community of practice surrounding barrier removal through the development of state-based Aquatic Connectivity Teams (ACTs). These teams create a forum that allows resource managers from all sectors to work together and share resources, disseminate information, and examine regulatory streamlining processes as well as project management tips and techniques.

Arkansas aquatic connectivity team photo
Georgia aquatic connectivity team photo
Tennessee aquatic connectivity team photo
South Carolina aquatic connectivity team photo

You can help!

You can help improve the inventory by sharing data, assisting with field reconnaissance to evaluate the impact of aquatic barriers, joining an Aquatic Connectivity Team, or even by reporting issues with the inventory data in this tool.

Contact us to learn more about how you can help improve aquatic connectivity in the Southeast region.