This work is part of our fish passage program. Replacing the existing culverts will remove barriers to fish migration and expand healthy fish habitat. The unnamed tributary is 67 percent blocked to fish, while High School Creek is considered to be completely blocked.
The two streams will be realigned to merge and flow through a large culvert. Crews will then rebuild stream beds and improve creek channels. Replacing the culverts with a larger alternative will improve access to 3.5 miles of new habitat for the various trout and salmon species that use these creeks.
Rebuilding this habitat will help restore fish runs and increase fish populations. This benefits commercial seafood operations, recreational fishers, and provides more food for our declining orca population. In addition, replacing these fish barriers helps us meet our obligation to remove barriers under the 2013 U.S. District Court injunction.
Design work began in 2021. Construction work will begin in 2024 and the new fish passages will be complete the same year.
Milestone
January 2024
Contract awarded to Scarsella Bros. Inc.
July 2024
Begin construction
Fall 2024
Complete construction
The current estimated total project cost is $6.79 million. This project is funded by CWA and the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund.
People traveling between Redmond and Woodinville will need to follow a detour using Northeast 124th Street, Interstate 405 and SR 522 during the five-day closure of SR 202 to remove a barrier to fish passage.
This image shows the current configuration of the two creeks. The northernmost creek, an unnamed tributary of the Sammamish River run east to west under SR 202. High School Creek currently crosses diagonally under the intersection of SR 202 and Northeast 124th Street.
This image shows the planned configuration of the two creeks. They will be joined at a single culvert just north of the intersection of SR 202 and Northeast 124th Street.
The current culvert at the unnamed tributary is 67 percent blocked.
The current High School Creek culvert is completely impassable to fish.
