Lower Weiss Creek Family Forest Fish Passage Project

The project area included a section Weiss Creek, a tributary to the Snoqualmie River in western Washington State, where an undersized, failing culvert blocked coho, cutthroat, and steelhead from accessing vital stream and wetland habitat. By interrupting habitat connectivity, even a single barrier can have a disproportionately large impact on the abundance and resiliency of wild fish populations.

The Family Forest Fish Passage Program (FFFPP) assists private forestland owners in removing culverts and other stream crossing structures that prevent ESA listed salmonids from migrating upstream. Through the management of DNR’s Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office some 376 landowners have taken advantage of the program to remove 433 barriers since 2003.

Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) staff replaced an undersized partial-barrier culvert with a 35-foot long by 16-foot wide modular steel bridge. Minor in-channel work was performed to provide a consistent gradient through the project reach, and large woody debris (LWD) was added to increase in-stream habitat complexity. Disturbed areas were replanted with native trees and shrubs.