environment

Thurston County installs new habitat features for fish passage

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Thurston County Public Works reported during the county commissioners' work session last week that they completed three fish passage projects so far in 2021 .

In a presentation on Thursday, September 30, Public Works Civil Engineer Marcus Storvick shared that they have completed the construction of projects that improve fish passage at the following locations; Spurgeon Creek at the Chehalis Western Trail, Baker Creek at Gate Rd. SW, and Mima Creek Tributary at Gate Rd. SW.

The new habitat features are pieces of the county's Fish Passage Program which aim to remove fish blockages in streams and creeks. According to the Thurston Regional Planning Council, there are 353 known fish passage barriers throughout the county. These barriers range from road culverts, dams, dikes and other types of obstructions. They often prevent fish such as salmon and steelhead from reaching their spawning and rearing areas, posing a threat to the local fish populations.

Sturgeon Creek

Public Works installed a prefabricated bridge at Spurgeon Creek to replace two of four culverts that used to cause blockage and velocity issues. As a result, the county improved the existing fish populations in the area, such as the Chinook, coho, steelhead, and sea-run cutthroat trout.

During the process, Thurston County Senior Environmental Program Specialist Trevin Taylor said that several trees, ranging from 70 to 80 years old, were to be taken down. The trees were in the embankment that previously was used to support the historical Chehalis Western railway.

Taylor also shared that members of the Squaxin Island Tribe were also involved in the process. Currently, the tribe also uses the Spurgeon Creek project as the best example to install these habitat features. In a second phase, the county plans to install another 65 ft. prefabricated bridge to replace two culverts. . "It's a challenging project, but one you'll only get to see every 20 years," he stated.

Baker Creek

In addition, Public Works also installed a new bridge at Baker Creek to replace undersized culverts. Generally, these types of pipes do not have the adequate size to carry the water capacity needed. 

Some of the fish population found in the area includes steelhead, trout, coho, and sea-run cutthroat trout.

Mima Creek Tributary

Just up the road from Baker Creek, Public Works also removed the blockage at Mima Creek Tributary. Public Works Civil Engineer Ryan Blaser also shared that they were able to replace another undersized culvert. Blaser said that the culverts were so small that "you can barely see, if you're driving over it you probably wouldn't think twice that you're crossing a culvert that has fish and wildlife present there." He added, "This project gave us an opportunity to return and restore the stream to a more natural alignment."

The combined project cost for both Mima Creek and Baker Creek was $2 million.

Wildlife conservation

Taylor shared that several fish populations were able to benefit from the project. "We think salmon all the time, but when we do this it also benefits lots of other species," Taylor said.

He shared that the county also implements adaptive measures for fish populations that require a habitat, such as the Olympic mudminnow, which are found only in Washington.

Aside from saving the fish population, Taylor shared that other forms of wildlife could benefit from the project, including birds such as the Western Bittern Heron. "It's very rare to spot one," Taylor said. He continued, "We get so caught up in fish and fish passage, [but] the net benefits to other species is really huge...from air to terrestrial species." 

Economic Benefits

Aside from protecting local wildlife species, Public Works also shared that conservation projects provide economic benefits. In a study conducted by the University of Oregon, every $1 million spent on habitat projects generates 14 to 20 jobs and adds an estimated $1.4 million to local economies.

In addition to the three fish passage projects, Public Works also completed several construction projects between 2018 and 2019, including the Eld Inlet Tributary, Toboton Creek, Pants Creek, Woodland Creek Tributary and O'Conner Creek.

UPDATE, August 17, 2022:  A previous version of this story misspelled Spurgeon Creek and included an incorrect title for Marcus Storvick. This update also clarifies why trees were removed at the  Spurgeon Creek crossing. 

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