The Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership (RFHP) is broken-up into four (4) Regional Workgroups (i.e. Southeastern-SARP, Northeastern, Midwest, and Western).  These Workgroups are the ‘workhorses’ of the partnership; they link the national organization to the on-the-ground projects supported by the partnership. 

Regional Workgroups will

• Identify regional priorities;
• Participate in development and selection of projects;
• Facilitate, monitor, and report project implementation. 

Additionally, Regional Workgroups implement policies and strategic actions determined by the Executive Committee and support the Executive Committee in implementation of the strategic plan, national assessments and databases, and periodic performance reporting.  Each Regional Workgroup is supported by staff structures specific to their needs and means.

Workgroup Project Selection

Regional Workgroups will prioritize projects for submission to the Executive Committee for either national partnership funding or funding by the NFHAP.  Criteria used to prioritize regional projects will be established by the partnership through its Executive Committee in consultation with the Science and Data committee. 

The Regional Workgroups will place a high priority on reservoir fish habitat projects that support, strengthen, or fill-in information gaps in State Wildlife Action Plans, watershed protection plans, recovery plans, land and water use plans, or other regional-scale plans.  The Regional Workgroups will use reservoir classification and assessment data and reservoir system rankings provided by the RFHP Science and Data Committee to assist them in identifying and prioritizing key reservoir impairment issues and opportunities for fish habitat improvements within the reservoir, its watershed system, and the region in which it resides. Priority projects of each Regional Workgroup will be submitted to the RFHP Executive Committee for potential funding. 

At any time, Regional Workgroups may collaborate with reservoir managers and local stakeholders to develop and fund opportunistic projects through non-partnership funds.  Additionally, Regional Workgroups will promote and communicate RFHP strategic plan goals and objectives and meet the data needs established by the Executive Committee and those required by the NFHAP.