DESCRIPTION
Snohomish Conservation District and the Wild Fish Conservancy wish to apply for funds to complete designs on two culverts in the Woods Creek system. This project is a component of Phase 2 of our Woods Creek Culvert Cooperative. All 3 phases of our Woods Creek Culvert effort is currently on the 4 year workplan for the Snohomish Basin. Snohomish CD will complete a design to correct a privately owned barrier on Sister of Friar Creek to open approximately 1.26 miles of habitat. The Wild Fish Conservancy will complete a design to correct a privately owned barrier on Friar Creek to open approxiamtely 2.1 miles of fish habitat. Both streams have documented Coho presence. The total request for this project is $70,000 for full, permit-ready designs.
Snohomish Conservation District developed landowner support and completed preliminary designs to replace a partial fish passage barrier on Sister of Friar Creek in the Woods Creek sub-basin. This project was the next phase of the Cooperative's work to correct priority fish passage barriers in the Woods Creek sub-basin. This barrier was identified as a Tier 2 priority in a Barrier Assessment and Prioritization completed by Snohomish Conservation District, Wild Fish Conservancy, and Snohomish County as part of the Woods Creek Culvert Cooperative partnership. This barrier was the next highest priority barrier with a willing landowner, after correction of those funded as part of another Salmon Recovery grant (16-1608). There is one Tier 1 priority barrier that is prioritized for correction, but not yet implemented as the landowner is not willing to participate.
The goal of this project was to complete preliminary engineering, a design report, cost estimate and initiate permit consultation for a future fish passage project. When this barrier is corrected, it will improve fish access to 1.26 miles of stream habitat for coho and cost cutthroat trout in a Rural Streams priority sub-basin as identified in the Snohomish River Basin Salmon Conservation Plan (2005).
Grant funding was used to complete landowner engagement and preliminary design activities including survey and data gathering, development of correction alternatives, correspondence and site visits with landowners to discuss correction alternatives, initial consultations with WDFW and correction alternatives, selection of preferred alternative, and development of preliminary design documents aligned with SRFB Manual 18 Appendix D-2.
The project received only partial funding, so the scope was reduced from final to preliminary design for one crossing. The Conservation District added $5,190 (15.01%) match through a cost change amendment in order to receive a time extension to complete the fish passage design.