The Desert Fish Habitat Partnership (DFHP) announced the launch of a new interactive StoryMap developed in partnership with Trout Unlimited that showcases the remarkable diversity, challenges, and collaborative conservation efforts supporting desert fish and aquatic habitats across the American West and Southwest.

Spanning some of the driest landscapes in North America, the StoryMap explores how life persists in desert rivers, springs, and wetlands—and how these fragile systems are being protected through strategic partnerships and science-based restoration.

From the Colorado River Basin to isolated desert springs, the StoryMap highlights ecosystems that support a surprising diversity of native fish species uniquely adapted to extreme conditions. Many of these species are found nowhere else on Earth and face mounting pressures from drought, groundwater depletion, invasive species, and habitat fragmentation.

“This StoryMap brings the story of desert fish and their habitats to life in a compelling and accessible way,” said Jon Sjoberg, Coordinator for the Desert Fish Habitat Partnership. It illustrates both the urgency of conservation in these systems and the incredible progress that can be achieved through collaboration.”

The StoryMap features
- Interactive maps illustrating priority conservation areas across the West and Southwest  
- Profiles of native desert fish  
- On-the-ground project examples demonstrating restoration and conservation  
- Partner-driven success stories  

The Desert Fish Habitat Partnership is an Initiative of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies that works in arid land aquatic habitats across 11 western states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming,. As one of 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships under the National Fish Habitat Partnership, DFHP advances conservation through collaboration.

Explore the StoryMap
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/8b95440a1ff347d58ab8e7e637c19f30

The Desert Fish Habitat Partnership is one of 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships under the National Fish Habitat Partnership, working to conserve and restore fish habitats across the United States. The StoryMap launch comes as DFHP and its partners prepare to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Fish Habitat Partnership in 2026, marking two decades of nationwide collaboration to protect and restore fish habitats across the US, and is supported in part by the Multistate Conservation Grant Program, funded through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program and jointly managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

About the Desert Fish Habitat Partnership
The Desert Fish Habitat Partnership is a collaborative network of federal, state, Tribal, and local partners dedicated to conserving desert aquatic ecosystems and the native fish species they support. Through strategic conservation actions, the partnership works to improve habitat conditions, enhance water sustainability, and promote long-term ecosystem resilience across the arid West and Southwest.

About the National Fish Habitat Partnership
Since 2006, NFHP has supported over 1,700 projects and has put over $600 million in conservation projects on the ground benefiting fish habitat throughout all 50 states. This effort works to conserve fish habitat nationwide, leveraging federal, state, tribal, and private funding resources to achieve the greatest effect on fish populations through priority conservation projects of 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships that are organized around key fish species, geographic areas, or important fish habitats. In 2020, NFHP was recognized by Congress as part of the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act and was reauthorized in 2024. NFHP guidance and policies are developed in conjunction with our partnerships and National Fish Habitat Board.