This project restores fish passage at a stream crossing owned by Jim Mallett on Baxter Creek, a tributary to Arkansas Creek, in Cowlitz County. The culvert is located on Baxter Creek 5,000 feet above the confluence with Arkansas Creek. This project will provide Coho, Cutthroat, Chinook, and Steelhead access to 19,693 meters of habitat. The project will remove four culverts at one location and replace them with either a prefabricated bridge or structural plate arch. The final design is contingent upon engineered alternatives and costs. Fill will be removed and the channel cross section restored to appropriate dimensions throughout the project area to improve stream/road crossing alignment. The bridge deck will be placed at or above the existing road surface. The bridge abutments will consist of either a grade beam or ecology block footing set below the anticipated scour. The abutments will be protected from the erosion by placement of rock armor. Road fill and rock will return the road surface to pre project condition and will meet forest practice standards. Rock for the project will have to be imported.
All disturbed areas will either be seeded with suitable grass mix, planted with suitable shrub and tree species or a combination there-of. Per landowner agreement the site will be monitored closely during the first three winters following construction. Further monitoring will become a standard component of the landowners road system activities.
