Project overview
This project replaced a 2-foot-diameter clay culvert that blocked fish passage with a 20-by-9-foot cement box culvert that allows fish and other wildlife to move freely up and down the creek. The project also placed natural features into the Barnes Creek streambed.
What to expect
Construction began in August 2023. Contractor crews closed SR 516 around the clock for 10 days in late-September for culvert installation. Occasional SR 516 closures followed in late 2023 and early 2024 for landscaping and utility work. Final paving on SR 516 near the new culvert is planned in spring 2024.
The completed culvert running under State Route 516 in Des Moines restored natural stream conditions in Barnes Creek. The project also placed woody debris and other fish-friendly features within the streambed.
The previous culvert that carried Barnes Creek under SR 516 was too small and made of vitrified clay, putting it in imminent danger of collapse. A collapse would have rendered SR 516 unusable pending repairs.
WSDOT replaced the Barnes Creek culvert with a larger structure that allows coho, resident trout, steelhead and sea run cutthroat improved access to more than one mile of additional upstream habitat. As part of the improvements, WSDOT also restored the streambed 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 also are intended to create a more enjoyable experience for people who use the Barnes Creek Nature Trail as they’ll likely 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 helps 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.
