About the Partnership: 

The Cape Fear River Partnership was formed in 2011 with a vision of a healthy Cape Fear River for fish 

and people. The partnership's mission is to restore and demonstrate the value of robust, productive, and 

self-sustaining stocks of migratory fish in the Cape Fear River. Building on the momentum of the newly 

constructed fish passage at Lock & Dam #1, this partnership of key federal, state, local, academic, and other 

organizations in the region is working together on this multi-year action plan. Using a broad range of tools 

and capabilities, we seek to provide long-term, habitat-based solutions for the most pressing challenges for 

migratory fish. 

 

The partnership strives to measure achievement of our mission with the following targets: increased fish 

populations (as measured by catch-per-unit efforts, improved age structure, and other techniques), increased 

recreational fishing success for shad, striped bass, and river herring (as measured by creel surveys), and a 

re-opened striped bass and river herring harvest in the Cape Fear River. 

 

The Action Plan for Migratory Fish: 

Using the best available information and expert knowledge, and built upon the work of other existing 

conservation plans, this Action Plan acknowledges several problem statements related to the health of 

migratory fish stocks in the Cape Fear River basin. These problem statements are nested under three goals. 

Sets of actions are designed to restore fish passage and improve habitat and water quality to revitalize 

populations of migratory fish and improve the overall condition of the river. 

 

Primary Goals: 

 

• Restore Access to historic migratory fish habitat

• Improve habitat conditions for migratory fish within the Cape Fear River Basin

• Engage new stakeholders and increase interest in improving fish passage and habitat conditions for migratory fish through communication of socioeconomic values associated with such improvements

 

Source: Cape Fear River Basin Action Plan for Migratory Fish  

 

 

Team Leads: 

 

Coordinator: Dawn York, dyork@dialcordy.com

 

Fish Passage Committee: 

Mike Wicker, mike_wicker@fws.gov

Fritz Rohde, fritz.rohde@noaa.gov