These 5 barrier puncheon are on 2 tributaries to Polson Creek which flows into the WF Hoquiam River. Two barriers, sites A and B will be replaced with bridges. Three barriers, sites C, D, and E will be removed and the roads abandoned. NRCS is engineering sites D and E and contributing $10,000. The barrier puncheon downstream on Mike Rogers property will also be corrected. Correction of all barriers will open about 0.85 miles of habitat for coho, steelhead and cutthroat.
The Atkins project construction started July 1st and was completed by July 11th of 2011. At sites A and B two 14 ft wide by 30 ft. long concrete bridges were installed after the puncheon barriers were removed and the stream bed reconstructed. Sites C, D and E had the puncheon crossings removed and the streambeds reconstructed to match the natural stream gradient. The puncheon removals had to be excavated to the natural slope of the stream and surrounding banks. Once excavation was at streambed level additional puncheon logs barried in the streambed had to be removed which put the streambed elevations below the designed slope. Recommend in the future to just follow natural contour of banks and stream slope and not engineer puncheon removals. At this point the puncheon removals have leveled out and the stream is flowing through all three removal sites allowing good fish passage and is looking very natural as far as stream flow. The Rogers site downstream was corrected with a 14 ft wide by 30 ft. long concrete bridge.
