SR 516/Barnes Creek fish passage

The culvert that carries Barnes Creek under SR 516 is too small and made of vitrified clay, putting it in imminent danger of collapse. A collapse would render SR 516 unusable until it could be repaired.

WSDOT will replace the Barnes Creek culvert with a larger structure that will allow coho, resident trout, steelhead and sea run cutthroat improved access to more than one mile of additional habitat. As part of the improvements, WSDOT will also restore the stream to create a more fish-friendly habitat by adding rocks, woody debris that provide resting areas for spawning fish, and new plants and trees for shade.

These improvements will also create a more enjoyable experience for people who use the Barnes Creek Nature Trail as they’ll see more fish return to the creek in the years ahead.

When many roads were first built and then expanded to become state highways, engineers at the time didn’t realize the importance of creating culverts large enough to accommodate fish. Over time, many of these culverts became barriers because they were too small. Other problems with these culverts surfaced as well; some designs encouraged debris to pile up, water ran too fast or was not deep enough, or the culverts were made of material that began deteriorating. All of these issues, separately and combined, made it difficult for fish to return upstream to spawn.

This work will also help WSDOT comply with a 2013 federal injunction to significantly increase efforts to remove state-owned culverts that block habitat for salmon and steelhead by 2030.