The project will reestablish fish access to an existing oxbow lake on the lower Puyallup River by use of a concrete culvert structure with an internal fish ladder. The fish passage structure will replace the existing barrier culvert that conveys water under the levee from the oxbow into the Puyallup River. This project was rated 3rd in priority of potential restoration sites on the lower Puyallup by the Puyallup Tribal Fisheries Site Restoration Catalog. Side channel habitat and flood plain connectivity, both of which will benefit from the project, are listed by the Washington State Conservation Commission report as limiting factors for the Puyallup River (p. 12). The oxbow will provide over 18 acres of important off-channel rearing habitat for juvenile salmonids, including coho salmon, chinook salmon (a listed stock), steelhead, and sea-run cutthroat trout. The Sumner Sportsmans Association owns the property and is willing to proceed with the project. Project partners also include Pierce County, the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, and the Puyallup Tribe. Construction will take place in the summer of 2001.
