Evaluation of Juvenile Salmonid Culvert Passage

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Evaluation of Juvenile Salmonid Culvert Passage

• SM Anglea, GD Williams, KD Ham, and GA McMichael
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

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Problem Description

• Barriers to fish passage have contributed to
  declines in the abundance of resident and
  anadromous salmonids.
• Reduction in habitat complexity and diversity by
  preventing access to off-channel habitat or
  upstream movement.
• Mathematical models exist that guided culvert
  design, but models do not include empirical data
  for juvenile salmonids.

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Rationale and Significance to Regional Programs

• Section 9.6.2 of Biological Opinion (Habitat
  Actions)
• Identifies the objective of addressing in-stream
  obstructions and diversions that interfere with
  or harm listed anadromous species
• Yakima Subbasin Summary
• Restore access to historical production areas to
  all life stages of resident and anadromous
  salmonids
• Identify and repair culverts that inhibit
  connectivity and natural stream functions in all
  fish-bearing watersheds
• Fish and Wildlife Program
• Calls for actions that reintroduce anadromous
  fish into blocked areas
• Need to maintain and restore healthy ecosystems
  and watersheds and increase life history
  diversity of resident fish

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Relationship to Other Projects

• Refinement of a culvert passage models will
  benefit passage and supplementation projects by
  providing a tool to evaluate culverts as
  potential barriers to juvenile salmonids
• Collaborative effort with WSDOT through use of
  biological assessment protocol developed at
  Skookumchuck Hatchery Test Flume

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Overall Goal Refine Mathematical Models Used for
Guiding Culvert Design

• Specific Objectives
• Identify potential or known passage barriers to
  resident or anadromous salmonids (3), potentially
  within the Ahtanum Creek drainage (bull trout and
  steelhead)
• Conduct full physical and hydraulic assessment
• Conduct biological assessment
• Field application of methodology to evaluate
  passage success or failure and fish swimming
  behavior within culvert

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General Approach

• Apply hydraulic measurement and behavioral
  observation techniques developed from WSDOTs
  culvert testing program
• Identify up to three test culverts (new,
  retrofit, or known barrier) within Yakima Basin
  addressing differences in species, size, and
  timing of movement
• Conduct Physical, Hydraulic, and Biological
  assessments of selected culverts

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Planned Schedule

• Year 1 Identify test culverts through
  cooperation with Federal, State, County, City and
  Tribal entities. Field test and potentially
  modify biological assessment technique
• Years 2 and 3 Modify biological assessment
  technique as needed and identify additional
  culverts for evaluation

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Expected Products

• Standardized and statistically valid protocol for
  assessing juvenile salmonid passage through
  culverts
• Incorporate culvert information into the Salmonid
  Screening, Habitat Enhancement, and Restoration
  database (SSHEARbase) and the Salmon and
  Steelhead Habitat Inventory and Assessment
  Project (SSHIAP)
• Increased access of juvenile salmonids to
  historical stream reaches and habitats