Samson Creek Priority Fish Passage Project

Samson drains a 1.03 square mile watershed, flowing from upper reaches in State Forest and Bureau of Land Management land through a rural residential area to its confluence with the Trask River. This project opened spawning and rearing habitat for ESA listed Coho salmon, as well as Chinook salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout. Resident brook and/or Pacific lamprey likely occur in the watershed but are not well-documented.
The replacement of the undersized culvert with a bridge restored full passage for native migratory fish, improved stream function and decreased County Road maintenance. More funding was required for contracted services than expected due to rising material and labor costs.
Project partners include: Tillamook County, Trout Unlimited (TU), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), US Forest Service (USFS), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB). Designs were completed by Environmental Science Associates (ESA) and construction by Farline Bridge.

This project will replace an undersized, deteriorated culvert that impedes adult and juvenile fish passage and limits stream function. When constructed, this project will restore access to 1.3 miles of spawning and rearing habitat on Samson Creek. Anadromous salmonid fish species occurring in the Trask Watershed include spring and fall Chinook salmon, coho salmon, summer and winter steelhead, and sea-run cutthroat trout. Resident cutthroat trout also occupy most of the streams. Resident brook and/or Pacific lamprey likely occur in the watershed but are not well-documented.

The culvert at Samson Creek is listed on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Fish Passage Priority list with fish habitat quality ranked high. This culvert is a full barrier to juveniles and a partial barrier to adults, depending on flows.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality rates the lower Trask River as temperature impaired for rearing, migration, and spawning criteria. Because Samson Creek is a tributary that enters the lower Trask River it offers essential cold water refugia for all fish in the Trask River during high summer water temperatures.