DESCRIPTION
Project Summary: The project removes a failing, undersized, partial fish-barrier culvert on Kugel Creek with a fully fish passable structure (buried bridge), providing full access to over 2.5 miles of anadromous habitat and an additional 4.5 miles of resident habitat in Kugel Creek. The failing culvert will be replaced with a "Con/Span O-Series" bridge, a pre-cast buried bridge structure. Modular concrete arches will be set into matching pre-cast footings, minimizing installation time and road closure. This bridge is also needed because of the construction of the Olympic Discovery Trail through this location.
This restoration project removed a failing, undersized, partial fish-barrier culvert on Kugel Creek with a fully fish passable structure, providing full access to over 2.9 miles of anadromous habitat and an additional 4.4 miles of resident habitat in Kugel Creek. The failing culvert was replaced with a deep-corrugated galvanized steel arch. This structure was also needed because of the construction of the Olympic Discovery Trail through this location. The project was located on Kugel Creek, a tributary of the Sol Duc River in western Clallam County, WRIA 20 Sol Duc/Hoh. From Highway 101 to Cooper Ranch Road, travel approximately 1/4 mile south to the project site. Latitude - Longitude: 48.061042120, -124.109235006.
The overall goals of the project were to: 1) provide fish access, since Kugel Creek is an important anadromous tributary to the Sol Duc River. The project protectes and enhances habitat by restoring physical properties of the channel, allowing for full, unimpaired access to 2.9 miles of documented presence of Sol Duc winter and summer steelhead, and 1.0 mile of documented spawning and rearing habitat for Sol Duc fall coho. It also provides an additional 4.4 miles of habitat for Quillayute coastal cutthroat and resident cutthroat above the culvert site; 2) improved recreation by providing an integral link with the Olympic Discovery Trail; and 3) improved road safety.
NOTES
Kugel Creek was applied for SRFB funding in 2016 under 16-1388, but did not receive funding.