Fish Passage Restoration on Indian Creek and Old Tyonek Creek in Western Cook Inlet

In 2018 and 2019, this project addressed two fish passage barrier culverts near Tyonek by replacing them with fish-friendly culverts. Restoring fish passage on Indian Creek and a tributary of Old Tyonek Creek made 13.7 km of stream and 46 ha of lake habitat available to Chinook, coho, and pink salmon.

By removing barriers to fish passage and opening up 13.7 km of stream habitat and 46 ha of lake habitat, this project will have direct benefits for Chinook, coho, and pink salmon as well as eulachon, all of which are utilized in local subsistence fisheries and by endangered beluga whales. The culvert replacements will also provide adaptations to potential climate change impacts anticipated at the project sites. Several years of extreme weather events have led to culvert washouts in this area; by installing appropriately sized culverts that are able to handle storm events that may become more common with climate change, negative impacts to habitat caused by construction or driving through streams will be reduced.