Fish migrating up the Santee River from the Atlantic Ocean face many obstacles as they return to spawn in freshwater areas in the heart of South Carolina. These diadromous fish – those that live part of life in fresh water and part in salt water – can hit a wall at Santee Cooper’s Wilson Dam, which they cannot pass. Others reach a bottleneck about 50 miles north of Charleston at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Cooper River Rediversion Project. Fortunately, a fish lift allows them to continue their journey into Lakes Moultrie and Marion and beyond.