Sherwood Creek Fish Passage

South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group used this funding to replace two 5-foot-diameter culverts under the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard-owned railroad tracks with a concrete railroad bridge (54’ span) that allows migration of salmonids at all life stages. Sherwood Creek is about eight miles long and is a multi-salmon species watershed. Sherwood Creek enters Case Inlet near Allyn in Mason County. The project opened approximately 17 miles of relative pristine habitat including prime rearing wetlands.
Although some adult salmon had been able to get upstream during certain flows, the culverts were significant blockages. During most conditions the culverts constricted the flow, resulting in high velocities that caused the water to “jet” into a large pool. The high water velocities impeded salmon migration and created a rather significant plunge pool. At low flows the pipes were perched and the creek flowed down in impassable cascade of failed concrete pipe sections and rip rap.
The project also returned the stream channel to its historic location; its position had been altered by the construction of the tracks. An interesting feature was the combination of tradition rip rap plus bioengineering techniques utilizing large woody debris, degradable coir wrap fabric, and native deciduous stakes for stream bank stabilization.
Early indications are that the project was a success, with between 4,500 and 5,000 spawning chum counted above the project site in the fall of 2002, immediately after implementation. SPSSEG re-vegetated site with 210 trees and shrubs and 100 salvaged plants; they performed plant maintenance for two years.

The goal of the project is to connect isolated habitat to increase the range and distribution of salmon.

The objective of the project is to increase access to areas blocked by human-caused impediments.