Clearing the Way

Across Washington, the dedicated volunteers of Trout Unlimited’s Barrier Assessment Team (BAT) have identified and cataloged hundreds of culverts blocking fish passage and impeding watershed health.

The rigorous data gathered by these teams provides state and federal agencies with critical information needed to prioritize where restoration projects would provide the most benefit to Washington’s native fish populations and cold, clean water resources.

Their partnership with the United States Forest Service has already led to key culverts being replaced in the White River watershed and helped launch a landscape-scale restoration effort focused on protecting Spring Chinook, wild steelhead and other native fish in South Puget Sound.

Clearing the Way, a new video from our friend Liam O. Gallagher celebrates these inspiring grassroots leaders.

Learn more about the BAT Program’s work and how to get involved here.

An Overview of Who we are…

The Washington Council Trout Unlimited (WCTU) is Washington’s grassroots volunteer movement of the national non-profit organization Trout Unlimited, which is currently headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Trout Unlimited was founded on the banks of Au Sable River in Grayling, Michigan in July of 1959. A group of concerned Michigan anglers banded together to protect the health of native trout and their habitat, wanting to ensure fish would be plentiful for generations to come. Trout Unlimited today consists of more than 350 staff members across the US along with 300,000 members making up over 400 chapters nationwide.

The Washington Council is a volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that supports the conservation efforts of over 4,500 members in 10 regional chapters across the state, from all ages, backgrounds, and professions. We have many staff working across our state working on large-scale habitat and water projects to protect and restore wild salmon, steelhead and trout in their native ranges. Our staff members also lead our policy and advocacy efforts on a state and national level, helping unify the impacts of our efforts as both an organization and grassroots movement. Together, we work as ONE TU.

The WCTU is dedicated to improving and restoring fish habitat while celebrating the joy and wonder of wild fish. We work to strengthen and empower our volunteers across the state by creating a welcoming environment for people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to join us. By establishing inclusion as a critical part of our success, our involvement in communities is giving rise to unique projects, studies, and partnerships, strengthening our ability to make a lasting difference. We hope to inspire passion by showing people the awe-inspiring journey and hardships our fish face, while raising awareness about the issues surrounding water that could effect us all. Through hard work and dedication, we can preserve and reconnect vital habitat, advocate for political protection, and lay the groundwork for future generations to live alongside our innumerable waterways in harmony. The only prerequisite for joining TU is that you care about the future of America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds – and want to do something about it.