OptiPass: The migratory fish passage optimization tool, version 1.0 user manual

OptiPass(TM) is a Microsoft Windows® based program for optimizing the mitigation of artificial barriers,

which block or otherwise reduce the dispersal of diadromous (aka migratory) fish. The program

integrates information on barrier passability (upstream and or downstream), mitigation cost, and

potential river habitat gain for one or more target species in order to identify cost-efficient passage

improvement strategies. Critically, OptiPass employs state-of-the-art optimization modeling and

solution techniques, explicitly taking into consideration the spatial structure of barriers and the

interactive effects of passage improvement on longitudinal connectivity. Optimization based methods

provide a systematic and objective means of targeting barrier mitigation actions which maximize

restoration gains given available resources. OptiPass represents a radical improvement over the ad-hoc

methods commonly used in barrier prioritization planning.

OptiPass comes replete with a graphical user interface to quickly and easily generate optimized

solutions. Additional functionalities have been built into OptiPass for performing batch runs across a

range of budget values, varying the weights placed on different target species, and carrying out more

detailed “what-if” type analyses such as changing the spatial focus (i.e., selecting subsets of watersheds

for detailed study) and forcing specific barriers in or out of the final optimal solution. Besides being

useful for strategically targeting high impact barriers within a given area that yield the “biggest bang for

the buck,” OptiPass can also be used in a variety of other ways such as in the short-listing of projects

submitted for potential funding and helping to identify appropriate levels of investment in barrier

mitigation that meet defined policy planning goals.