Fixing this culvert has been identified as a high priority within the Hood Canal watershed as there is approximently 4 miles of high quality rearing upstream from the culvert and many species of anadromous and resident fish will benefit from correcting this barrier. Fish specieis that will benefit from the project include: Coho, Chinook, steelhead and resident trout. Currently Chinook are listed as threatened and Coho are listed as a specieis of concern throught he Endangered Specieis Act. The downstream portion below the culvert of the Tahuya River Watershed is some of the best coho overwintering and summer habitat in Washington State. It consisits of a maze of wetlands, beaver ponds and lakes. It is utilized by multiple species and in past decades provided habitat for them in much greater numbers. The habitat is relatively intact with very little interference by humans to date. Increasing the size of the proposed culvert would provide juvenile salmonids a migratory path to upstream habitat and allow better passage for adult fish during high flows periods. Correcting the barrier will open another 800 acres and another mile of spawning habitat. This habitat is listed as some of the best intact refugia in all of the Tahuya and Kitsap peninsulas.