Upper Weiss Creek Fish Passage

Location:

King County, WA, between Duvall & Carnation - Weiss Creek is a tributary to the Snoqualmie River

Project type:

Restoration

Status:

Complete

Start Date:

04/01/2007 (Carlson-Weiss Creek)
04/01/2008 (Goeke-Weiss Creek)

Completion Date:

01/30/2009 (Carlson-Weiss Creek)
11/30/2009 (Goeke-Weiss Creek)

Description:

A small watershed that flows under SR 203 into the Snoqualmie River east of Seattle, Weiss Creek supports coho, steelhead, resident and sea-run cutthroat trout, sculpins, and freshwater mussels. In 1999, WFC restored the lower one mile of the watershed where it flows through the Snoqualmie floodplain by restoring flow to a relict channel, adding large woody debris, and doing an extensive riparian planting. Since then, WFC has improved wetland habitats further upstream, and monitored the type and number of salmon returning to the creek annually.

In the headwaters of Weiss Creek near Big Rock Road, there were several undersized culverts that compromised the upstream migration of coho, steelhead, and sea-run cutthroat trout. During the December 2007 storm, one of those culverts blew out, wrecking the road and stranding 12 households on the far side of the creek. A temporary culvert was installed and the road temporarily repaired. During summer 2008, WFC removed that temporary 4' wide culvert and replaced it with a 34' long steel bridge; the following summer, WFC also removed a second barrier culvert just upstream and replaced it with a wooden bridge.

Goals & Objectives:

Replace the the two barriers to fish passage allowing fish to access important headwater spawning habitat as well as reducing the risk and maintenance for the citizens that currently own the culverts.