First Slough Fish Passage and Habitat Connectivity Project

Grantee completed 100% designs to remove three fish barriers on First Slough, locally known as Cooper Gulch, to provide access to an additional mile of habitat, enhancing habitat quality, connectivity, and availability with focused benefits to non-natal juvenile Coho Salmon. Designs included realignment of Cooper Gulch below 14th Street as well as off-channel pond development and large wood install for habitat improvement. All FY17 PCSRF funds were spent within the award period (even though the project ended outside the FY17 award period).

The specific objective(s) of this Project are to Complete 100% designs and permits to remove three barriers in the First Slough watershed, resulting in a shovel-ready project which will provide one additional mile of habitat for non-natal salmonids. The goals of the project are (1) removing three known migration barriers on First Slough to support an additional one mile of anadromous habitat, targeting non-natal Coho and also benefiting other anadromous species; (2) restoring and enhancing anadromous spawning and rearing habitat in the Cooper Gulch Reach between Myrtle Avenue and the 14th Street crossing with restoration of the riparian corridor, floodplain restoration, and inclusion of large wood for habitat; (3) maximize habitat benefits provided in the critical ecotone between saltwater and freshwater habitat; and (4) decrease the risk of culvert failure and sediment transport by increasing the hydraulic conveyance of First Slough.