The primary goal of this project is to provide year-round volitional fish passage to all life stages and species at the Watts Toppin Dam while providing irrigation water to the water users by constructing a roughened channel (engineered riffle). The dam currently is a major fish passage barrier that limits access to high quality habitat including 12 miles for Chinook, 23 miles for Coho, 35 miles for Steelhead, and 11 miles for Pacific Lamprey. A similar design was successfully constructed at Lower Bridgepoint Dam, a dam located a mile downstream in 2020.

Watts Toppin Dam is listed on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Statewide Fish Passage Priority List as the 4th highest priority in the Applegate Watershed. The 3 higher priorities are currently in varying stages of planning and/or design for removal or retrofit by APWC and/or other entities. The proposed project seeks to build upon the recently completed Lower Bridgepoint Fish Passage Project, located on BLM land approximately 1 mile downstream of Watts Toppin Dam. The successfully completed project at Lower Bridgepoint Diversion was similar in scale and design to the proposed project at Watts Toppin. Together, these projects will substantially improve access to valuable upstream spawning and rearing habitats of Williams Creek and its tributaries.