Weston-Champagne Cachagua Creek Fish Passage Project

The Project remedied a barrier to steelhead migration on Cachagua Creek. The site is a concrete ford, identified as the #2 Priority fish passage barrier in the Carmel River system. The Project removed the existing concrete ford and replaced it with a single span bridge in the same crossing alignment, designed to improve upstream migration conditions for steelhead. A pool will be installed just downstream. The Project also improved flood conveyance and provides safe vehicle access across Cachagua Creek to several private properties. All FY18 PCSRF funds were spent within the award period.

The ford removal and replacement with a free span bridge will improve migration conditions in this important reach of Cachagua Creek for juvenile and adult steelhead trout at all modeled fish passage flows for access to 8.3 miles of upstream steelhead habitat and improve flood conveyance. The proposed bridge deck height will balance the streams function to pass smaller floods and fish passage flows with the risk of debris loading during very large floods.