DESCRIPTION
Forterra and its partners propose to conduct acquisition feasibility & restoration planning to acquire & remove Chambers Creek Dam. If feasibility is completed and it is determined that removal of the dam can move forward, Forterra and its partners would seek additional funding to 1) acquire the dam, 2) complete the site restoration design, and 3) implement the restoration plan by removing the dam and restoring the land inundated by the impoundment.The dam is located approximately three quarters of a mile upstream from the mouth of Chambers Creek between Lakewood and University Place; it is within the main stem of Chambers Creek and is tidally influenced. According to the WRIA 12 salmon recovery plan, removal of the dam would help restore habitat to the lower 4 mi. of Chambers Creek. The estuary in which the dam is located is the major estuarine feature between the Nisqually River and the Tacoma Narrows. Removal of the dam would benefit several species, including Puget Sound Chinook, coho & chum salmon, steelhead, and smelt.
Forterra and its partners completed an acquisition feasibility analysis and conceptual restoration design report (10%) for Chambers Creek Dam in Pierce County. The report determined that restoration (i.e., removal of the dam and restoration of the estuary) would be feasible if done in conjunction with the replacement of the Chambers Creek Road bridge spanning the creek, which is immediately upstream of the dam site. Forterra and its partners have secured additional funding following the completion of this report to complete additional site investigation as well as a preliminary design (30%), and will continue to work with local partners, affected governments, and interested stakeholders to the project.
The project scope did not change over the life of the project, however the timeline to complete the work was extended multiple times. This was done to ensure agreement among tribal fisheries managers about the parameters of the project, as well as to complete additional government, stakeholder, and community engagement.
