DESCRIPTION
Primary Sponsor: Underwood Conservation District. Project Summary: Mill Creek is a tributary to the White Salmon River at river mile 3.99. The White Salmon River Watershed Anadromous Fish Passage Inventory 2009-2011 Survey Report determined that the Mill Creek culvert at river mile 0.32 is a 100 percent fish passage barrier (P.17). It was also ranked as the highest priority barrier in the watershed.The goal of this project is to open fish passage to 4.87 miles of high-quality stream habitat in Mill Creek above the former Condit Dam location. The project will also restore conveyance of high stream flows, large woody material and sediment, allowing Mill Creek to function as a natural part of the White Salmon River basin. Project Location: PLSS: NE 1/4, NE 1/4, Sec. 3, T.3N, R.10E, Latitude, Longitude: 45.77, -121.53 Application Amount: at least $135,000, and as much as $200,000. Total project budget is not estimated at this time (but will be estimated by July application due date; anticipated to be as much as $400,000).
This restoration project replaced a 100% fish passage barrier culvert under Lakeview Road (Skamania County) with a new fish passable, open bottom, stream simulation road culvert. The selected design alternative was a 19.9' wide, concrete, modular box culvert. Mill Creek is a tributary to the White Salmon River at river mile 3.99.
SRFB grant funds paid for the finalization of design drawings, construction documents and specifications, and permitting, landowner agreements, and actual construction of the concrete box culvert structure and stream-simulated channel bed under Lakeview Road.
The goal achieved with this project was to open fish passage to 4.55 miles of additional, high-quality tributary stream habitat in Mill Creek above the former Condit Dam location. Priority fish species supported by this project include summer and winter steelhead, spring and fall chinook, coho, rainbow trout, and Pacific and brook lamprey. The project has also restored conveyance of high stream flows, large woody material and sediment through the road crossing, allowing Mill Creek to function as a natural part of the White Salmon River basin.
Construction took place over the span of 8 weeks in late summer and fall of 2016. The site was revegetated in the fall of 2016. Additional planting took place in fall of 2017 to fill in a few places along the stream. And some minor gullying erosion on a road shoulder near the culvert has been addressed with additional rock and straw wattles.
