Completed - Peterson Creek Fish Passage
Posted on Aug. 5th, 2020
Undersized, damaged, aging culverts can limit access to important stream habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms. They can also seriously affect transportation if a culvert fails or negatively impacts the road above.
Replacing a culvert with a larger, more suitable structure like a bridge is a win-win for fish, water quality, transportation, and the economy. At Peterson Creek, a tributary to the Miami River, upgrading the undersized, perched culvert will improve access to 6.2 miles of upstream habitat for ESA listed coho salmon, as well as Chinook, chum, steelhead, cutthroat and lampreys.
The project also creates substantial transportation and safety benefits for the community by improving the Miami-Foley Road alignment and elevating the roadway above 100-year flood levels. Miami-Foley Road is a critical transportation and emergency route for Tillamook County.
Tillamook Estuaries Partnership has been working directly with Tillamook County Public Works to implement the Peterson Creek Fish Passage Restoration this summer, which is a Salmon SuperHwy Priority Project.
Trout Unlimited, NOAA Fisheries Service, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service have provided funding and in-kind support for this project. For a complete list of partners visit www.salmonsuperhwy.org.
Photos by Broken Banjo Photography and Ron Newton, Tillamook County Public Works.
