DESCRIPTION
The South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group replaced two, side-by-side fish barrier culverts in Midway Creek (Mason County, WA) with a single fishway culvert to reconnect Midway Creek to Goldsborough Creek at its confluence. The tributary was previously un-named and was given the name Midway Creek by the Project Sponsor for the sake of identification.
The pre-project stream crossing underneath the private Simpson railroad had the culverts perched approximately eight feet above the adjacent Goldsborough Creek and the crossing was a 100% fish passage barrier. Since the stream crossing culverts were at the creekâs mouth, the project opened spawning and rearing habitat within Midway Creek that was not accessible to any migratory or anadromous fish for approximately 100 years. The estimated fish habitat gained was at least 0.6 miles of stream habitat and additional upper wetlands and headwaters. The potential habitat gain includes spawning gravel, pools, rearing habitat and large woody debris. Midway Creek is relatively undisturbed with little to no development surrounding it.
Work within the Goldsborough watershed has been a high priority for the Mason Lead Entity, and this project was listed on the South Sound 3-year-work- program in the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan. This project is expected to benefit chum, coho, steelhead, and cutthroat. After the completion of the project, approximately 50 adult spawning Coho salmon were observed in the stream.