Andover – NAACC Non-Tidal Aquatic Organisms Passage Training
Help us assess the culverts in our watershed by joining our trainings!
A culvert is a stream or other crossing that is designed to channel water under roads and other obstacles. These vital pieces of watershed infrastructure are so common and embedded in our landscape that you might not notice them, but the play an important role in helping the watershed stay connected.
There are upwards of 20,000 culverts in the Merrimack River watershed. When undersized or failing, they are barriers to fish migration and healthy aquatic habitat. Many of our culverts are over 50 years old and were built without consideration for wildlife or our changing precipitation levels. Aging, failing, and undersized culverts pose flood risks for the humans in the watershed, which means they are an important way we can help improve and conserve the watershed for all people and wildlife.
Data around the condition of culverts is an important part of how we assess our infrastructure for flood risks, wildlife passage, and more. The NACC protocol is a standardized way to collect data which allows us to share culvert data with larger databases. These standardized protocols were originally developed by the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) to measure road/stream crossings in the field. Training in these protocols is a fun, on-the-ground way to support the science we do here at MRWC.
- Focuses on assessing culverts for fish passage
- Includes 20 culvert assessment shadows and informational material for the online quiz to get certified
To complete the training program, both weekend sessions are required. Can only make one? Reach out to our team at volunteer@merrimack.org to learn about other opportunities to complete your training.
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