Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition built this project was to restore fish passage at three off-channel habitat sites in Clallam County. They will provide permanent access to high quality, high quantity habitat through naturally functioning processes for juvenile salmonids.

Tall Timber, Elkhorn, and T-Bone Springs had fishways that were constructed by the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife in the early 1980s that were constructed to provide passage to juvenile rearing habitat. Over time these structures have deteriorated and become barriers.

Without restoration of the wetland complex, access the habitat source would be lost; and in case of structure failure the habitat would diminish significantly. We removed the man made infrastructure and replaced it with more natural functioning solutions that will eliminate the need for maintenance.

We installed roughened channel structures and small wood structures and added a large amount of stream bed material to maintain passable gradient and rearing pond levels.

Before (left) the failing weir at Tall Timbers, and During (right) construction.

The concrete fishway at Tall Timbers (photo above) was severely deteriorated. It was failing rapidly and was causing a loss of rearing habitat. We started by installing a beaver dam analog above the fishway, as a preliminary step to stabilize water levels before removal of the fishway. Posts were driven into place and branches secured to form the Beaver Dam Analogue (BDA), providing a stable foundation to safely manage water flow during construction. After removing the degraded fishway, thirteen logs were installed in alternating angles and slopes to ensure a suitable stream gradient between the lower plank weir and BDA. Toe logs were installed along the stream bank to secure the angled and sloped logs in place. 150 yards of stream bed material was then placed within the log structures to create an appropriate grade and a simulated stream bed.