Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Hood Canal Bridge Fish Passage Mitigation

This project will entail implementing and testing on-the-ground measures to reduce the impacts stemming from the presence of the Hood Canal Bridge. The Hood Canal Bridge is a migration barrier to juvenile salmonids, including ESA-listed Puget Sound steelhead, Puget Sound Chinook, and Hood Canal summer chum. This implementation project, which includes several components including design, fabrication, deployment, and operations will primarily help fund the operations and adaptive management of two fish guidance structures “fillets” on the Hood Canal Bridge. The structures will be deployed to facilitate fish passage and alter fish/predator behavior in the project area (The project area was identified as a high predation zone during phase 1 of the Hood Canal Bridge Ecosystem Assessment). In addition to assisting in the deployment and development of the structures, the Tribe will use visual acoustics (multibeam imaging sonar), and remote underwater video to ensure that the structures are functioning as designed. Post-deployment results will indicate whether the fish guidance structures; alter fish/predator behavior and increase the probability of juvenile steelhead survival.

This project will help forward Phase 2 of the Hood Canal Bridge Ecosystem Assessment which is designed to: 1) implement and iterate on the highest priority management actions recommended through the Phase 1 process. and 2) address remaining high priority knowledge gaps regarding bridge impacts on juvenile Chinook and chum salmon, and adult salmon returning to natal Hood Canal watersheds.