Four miles of habitat for threatened Coho salmon, Chinook, Steelhead, Cutthroat trout, and Pacific Lamprey are now accessible on Boulder Creek, a tributary of the Nestucca River, after two undersized and failing culverts were replaced with bridges in 2017 and 2018, ensuring these populations will be more resilient to future impacts from weather events, climate change and management practices. The new bridge construction at the lower Boulder Creek crossing, flanked by a dairy farm on both sides, successfully minimized the chance of road failure during storms while making sure the dairy operations were not negatively impacted.

The project was a collaborative effort led by the Nestucca Neskowin Sand Lake Watersheds Council to improve fish passage in the watershed. Engineering was provided by US Forest Service. Construction companies included Carter and Company, Inc. (lower) and Pacific Bridge and Construction (upper).

Benefits

• 4 miles of threatened habitat remedied for 5 fish species

• Road failure due to storms minimized

• County road maintenance burden reduced

Partners

Nestucca Neskowin Sand Lake Watershed Council, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Tillamook County Public Works, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Bureau of Land Management, Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation and Development, OR Dept. of Fish and Wildlife