DESCRIPTION
Phase 2 of the Race Lagoon Culvert No. 1893/1894 replacements. Phase 1 was through the 2022 SRFB Grant Round for design only. It is anticipated that Phase 2 will be applied for in the 2024 SRFB Grant Round. Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group and Island County Public Works are working to replace two fish barrier culverts, culvert 1893 and 1894, under Race Road near Coupeville, WA . Removal of these fish passage barriers will open up critical rearing habitat for juvenile salmonids including ESA-listed Threatened Chinook as well as pink, Coho, and chum salmon. These two coastal streams drain to Race Lagoon which has been identified as important pocket estuary habitat for outmigrating salmon from the Skagit, Stillaguamish, and Snohomish Rivers. Pocket estuaries and small coastal streams such as these provide important feeding, resting, and and refuge habitat as juvenile salmon transition from freshwater to saltwater habitat. These culverts were identified during the Culvert Prioritization Inventory conducted by SFEG and Island County during which time a Chinook smolt was found in the stream above culvert #1893. In addition, SFEG has been working with local landowners who are open to additional wetland and riparian restoration upstream of these culverts as a future project. This grant would fund the construction of two fish passable structures at culverts 1893 and 1894.
This project proposes to implement Phase 2 of the Race Lagoon Culvert No. 1893 replacement. Island County Public Works has been working with the Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group to replace a fish barrier culvert, culvert 1893, under Race Road near Coupeville. Removal of these fish passage barriers will open up critical rearing habitat for juvenile salmonids including ESA-listed Threatened Chinook, pink, coho, and chum salmon. These two coastal streams drain to Race Lagoon which has been identified as important pocket estuary habitat for outmigrating salmon from the Skagit, Stillaguamish, and Snohomish Rivers. Pocket estuaries and small coastal streams such as these provide important feeding, resting, and and refuge habitat as juvenile salmon transition from freshwater to saltwater habitat.These culverts were identified in the Culvert Prioritization Inventory conducted by SFEG and Island County in 2021 during which time a Chinook smolt was found in the stream above culvert #1893. In addition, SFEG has been working with local landowners who are open to additional wetland and riparian restoration upstream of these culverts. This grant would fund the final design and construction of culvert 1893. We are still working with property owners on for #1984 for future grant project. Fish passage barrier removal is one of the most rapid and cost-effective ways of increasing the amount of accessible habitat for salmon.
