Salmon Rearing Habitat Restoration

The Municipality of Anchorage completed the design, permitting and easement acquisition for fish passage at the Little Campbell Creek at E. 84th Court location. The original project scope intended to remove fish barriers (existing undersized culvert system) and restore an open channel. The open channel design was determined to be non-constructible without acquisition of an adjacent property. The adjacent property was found to have contamination issues. The revised design installed a pre-cast concrete culvert that provides for maintenance access and ability to maintain fish passage through the culvert which also meets FEMA 100 year flood requirements. Once all design documents were completed, the Municipal Purchasing organization completed the competitive bid process for a qualified construction contractor. Construction of the new channel and installation of pre-cast concrete culverts were completed during the construction window of May - July 2011.

This project improves access to more than five miles of juvenile salmon rearing and winter habitat; adds to channel length, thereby increasing the amount of habitat; improves juvenile survival benefits all resource user groups, sport and commercial fishing interests benefit, especially people participating in the popular Campbell Creek sport fishery; and enables salmon to complete their lifecycle and transfer nutrients to the benefit of the entire watershed. This project will address a need identified in an ADF&G assessment.