DESCRIPTION
This project will assess the private culverts and crossings between the nearshore and publicly-maintained cuvlerts. Island County Public Works Surface Stormwater crews have conducted an assessment in WRIA 6's High Priority Geographic Area 1 (as per the 2005 Salmon Recovery Plan) and plan on continuing to Area 2. All culverts on streams between the nearshore and a natural fish barrier willl be identified.Privately maintained culverts will be assessed as to whether or not they are barriers to migration or not using WDFW standards. Beginning with culverts in watersheds with high potential for quality habitat, blocking culverts will be assessed for structural condition. The project will work with willing landowners to replace these culverts.
Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group (SFEG) partnered with Island County and Sound Salmon Solutions (SSS) in an effort to inventory and prioritize streams with fish passage barriers in Island County Salmon Recovery Geographic Area 2. Work on these efforts was initiated in 2014, when Island County received funding to survey and prioritize culverts on County owned roads in Salmon Recovery Priority Geographic Area 1 (RCO-SRFB #14-1014). The current project continued that work. Crews identified privately owned stream crossings through mapping analysis and outreach to survey in both Salmon Recovery Priority Geographic Areas 1 and 2. Crews also surveyed publicly owned culverts within 200 meters of the saltwater in Salmon Recovery Area 2. Identifying and eventually correcting fish passage barriers in both areas will greatly improve habitat access for Chinook, coho and steelhead.
Assessments - Upland / Freshwater
