Joint Committee on Fisheries Engineering and Science

Awards

The Joint Committee on Engineering and Fisheries Science is responsible for awarding the annual Fish Passage Distinguished Project Award, presented at each Fish Passage Conference, and has designated a Project Award Committee to assess nominated projects and to select an award winner.

An ideal project for the award exemplifies success in restoring passage and inspires greater application of fish passage restoration. Priority will be given to projects that have demonstrated effectiveness and fulfillment of restoration goals, by documented results as illuminated by a well-designed monitoring plan and system. Projects that have been shared widely in professional papers or conference presentations are encouraged. Self-nomination is also encouraged. To make a nomination, please complete the nomination form.

The deadline for both upcoming awards is January 16, 2026.

Each nominated project is evaluated with the following criteria:

  • Monitoring and evaluation – Monitoring report / findings and data are required for submittal. Telemetry, fish trapping, physical observations counts, or other monitoring techniques should be used as the basis of the findings. The monitoring report should describe methods and analysis of both pre- and post-construction.
  • Ecological gain for passage and habitat for endangered and native species
  • Innovation and technical excellence
  • Stakeholder collaboration and community based support
  • Education and public involvement
  • Effective application of resources (financial and matching)
  • Implementation according to design intent and adaptive to field conditions
  • Inspirational value

Projects that are not yet operational or haven’t been monitored for biological success, are generally not eligible. Research, fish passage concepts, and monitoring projects are also typically ineligible.

2026 Distinguished Project Award Winner: Klamath River Renewal Project

The 2026 Fish Passage Distinguished Project Award was presented to the Klamath River Renewal Project, the largest dam removal and river restoration effort in North American history. This $504 million program involved the decommissioning and removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River, spanning Oregon and California, to restore volitional fish passage and improve river health. The award was presented to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, McMillen, and Resource Environmental Solutions (RES).

Three recipients holding the Klamath River Renewal Project award plaques
Recipients accepting the 2026 Fish Passage Distinguished Project Award for the Klamath River Renewal Project at the International Fish Passage Conference. From left to right: Dave Coffman (RES), Kristen Peer (KRRC), Ritchie Graves (McMillen).
Presentation of the Klamath River Renewal Project at the conference
Presentation of the Klamath River Renewal Project at the conference
Presentation of the Klamath River Renewal Project at the International Fish Passage Conference.
The restored Klamath River reach within the former Copco Reservoir footprint
The restored Klamath River within the former Copco Reservoir footprint following dam removal. Imagery provided by RES (Vosburg, April 2025).
Fish Passage 2026 Distinguished Project Award plaque for the Klamath River Renewal Project
The Fish Passage 2026 Distinguished Project Award plaque.

2026 Career Achievement Award Winner: Mort McMillen

The 2026 Career Achievement Award for Distinguished Service in Fish Passage was presented to Mort McMillen, founder of McMillen, Inc., a full-service engineering and construction firm known for providing comprehensive water resources solutions. He currently serves as Senior Executive Vice President and served as the Owner’s Representative / Program Manager for North America’s largest dam removal and restoration project: the Klamath River Renewal Project. He accepted the award via video.

Mort McMillen accepting the 2026 Career Achievement Award via video
Mort McMillen (Senior Executive Vice President, McMillen, Inc.) accepting the 2026 Career Achievement Award via video.
Fish Passage 2026 Career Achievement Award plaque for Mort McMillen
The Fish Passage 2026 Career Achievement Award plaque.

Past Project Award Winners

  • 2026 – Klamath River Renewal Project, the largest dam removal and river restoration effort in North American history, removing four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in Oregon and California to restore volitional fish passage. The award was presented to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, McMillen, and Resource Environmental Solutions (RES).
  • 2025 – LIFE+ Netzwerk Donau, a 14.2 km nature-like bypass river around the Ottensheim-Wilhering Hydroelectric Project on the Danube River in Austria. The award was presented to Walter Reckendorfer (VERBUND Hydro Power, GmbH).
  • 2024 – China Lake Alewife Restoration Initiative, presented to Landis Hudson (Maine Rivers, Executive Director); Matt Streeter (Maine Rivers, Project Manager); Nate Gray (Maine State Department of Marine Resources, Scientist)
  • 2022 – Restoring the Continuity of Two Rivers in Southern Poland, presented to Mr. PRZEMYSŁAW DACA (President of the State Water Holding Polish Waters); Mrs. MAŁGORZATA SIKORA (Director of the Regional Water Management Board in Krakow – State Water Holding Polish Waters); and Mr. TOMASZ TOMALA (Head of the Political Cabinet of the Minister of Infrastructure for their project)
  • 2020 – LIFEDrawaPL – Active Protection of Water-Crowfoots Habitats and Restoration of Wildlife Corridor in the River Drawa Basin in Poland, presented to: Aleksandra Stodulna (RDEP – Regional Director of Environment Protection in Szczecin); Beata Gąsiorowska; Małgorzata Ćwiklińska; Aneta Radecka; Mariola Wróbel (PhD, West Pomeranian University of Technology); Artur Furdyna (external water ecology consultant); Mariusz Raczyński (PhD RDEP Szczecin); Wojciech Wójcik (external IT service); Paweł Bilski (Steering Committee – PhD, Director of Drawieński National Park); Piotr Dębowski (Steering Committee – PhD prof. Institute of Inland Fisheries- migratory fish expert); Robert Czerniawski (PhD Steering Committee – prof. Szczecin University); Józef Jeleński (Steering Committee- Eng. expert of riverbed morphology restoration)
  • 2018 – Fish Passage Research and Development at Low-head Barriers in South-east Asia, presented to: Dr. Lee Baumgartner (Charles Sturt University); Dr. Craig Boys (Port Stephens Fisheries Institute); Prof. Chris Barlow (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research); Dr. Joanne Miller (Charles Sturt University); Khampheng Homsombath (Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre); Douangkham Singhanouvong (Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre); Dr. Wayne Robinson (Charles Sturt University); Garry Thorncraft (National University of Laos); Dr. Oudom Phonekhampheng (National University of Laos); Thonglom Phommavong (National University of Laos); Phousone Vorsane (National University of Laos); Tim Marsden (Australasian Fish Passage Services); Dr. Nathan Ning (Charles Sturt University); Dr. Ivor Stuart (Kingfisher Research); Jarrod McPherson (Charles Sturt University); Brett Kelly (AWMA Solutions); Dr. Brett Pflugrath (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory); Thavone Phommavong (Pak Peung Village)
  • 2017 – Soda Springs Dam Fish Passage, North Umpqua River, Oregon USA, presented to: Rich Grost, Scott Schevenius, Eric Hansen, Tim Hemstreet, Mark Sturtevant, Steve Albertelli, Monte Garrett, and the North Umpqua Hydropower Project Crew (PacificCorp); Clint Smith (MWH Americas); Dirk Pedersen (Stillwater Sciences); George Gilmour (Meridian Environmental); Resource Coordination Committee (BLM, ODEQ, ODFW, OWRD, NMFS, USFS, USFWS)
  • 2016 — Habitat Restoration for Diadromous Fish in the River Mondego, presented to: Pedro Raposo de Almeida (Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Technology, University of Évora, Portugal); Isabel Domingos (Foundation of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisboa, Portugal); Luís Simão (Mora Freshwater Aquarium, Parque Ecológico do Gameiro, Mora, Portugal); Maria Felisbina Quadrado (Portuguese Environmental Agency, Amadora, Portugal); Gonçalo Carrasqueira (Forest and Nature Conservation Institute, Lisboa, Portugal); Yorgos Stratoudakis (Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA), Lisboa, Portugal); Nuno Portal (EDP, Gestão da Produção de Energia, S.A., Porto, Portugal); Cristina Rosa (Diretorate General for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM), Lisboa, Portugal); Fernando Lopes (Sea Lamprey Brotherhood, Penacova, Portugal); Fernanda Veiga (City Council of Penacova, Penacova, Portugal); Mário Magalhães Maia, City Council of Vila Nova de Poiares, Vila Nova de Poiares, Portugal); João Pardal (City Council of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal)
  • 2015 — Salto de San Fernando: Problems and Solutions, presented to: GEA-ecohydraulics (ETSIIAA Palencia), SSF S.L. (Town Hall and private associates), Duero Basin Authority (CHD-Water Public Domain Control Service), State Fisheries Section (Salamanca), Fishermen Associations (Peña de la Cruz de Béjar)
  • 2014 — Acushnet River Fish Passage Restoration, presented to: NOAA Restoration Center, EA Engineering, Science and Technology, Inc., US Fish and Wildlife Service, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Buzzards Bay Coalition, US Geological Survey, The New Bedford Harbor Trustee Council, and the Town of Acushnet.
  • 2013 — Development and Application of the Uniform Acceleration Bypass Weir for Downstream Passage at Dams and Water Intakes, presented to: Alex Haro, Theodore Castro-Santos, and John Noreika (Conte Anadromous Fish Research Laboratory, U. S. Geological Survey); George Hecker and Steve Amaral (Alden Research Laboratory); Robert Stira (Firstlight Power Resources); and Lynn Reese (U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District)

For more information on the Distinguished Project Award, please contact Peter Christensen, the chair of the EWRI-AFS Joint Committee on Fisheries Engineering and Science Project Award Task Committee, at Peter.Christensen@KleinschmidtGroup.com.