G Gary Sprague 11 years ago Good article. I have two comments: 1) The agency you likely intended to cite is the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, I do not believe there has been a Washington State Department of Fish and Game since the 1930s, 2)the culvert court case in Washington state is a current case where Native American Tribes have sued Washington State for impacts to tribal treaty rights (an extension of a 1974 case: US vs. WA, aka Boldt Decision). The federal court has ordered the Washington State Department of Transportation , Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of Parks to replace over 800 culverts in western Washington State by 2030. Estimated cost $1.9 billion. In my opinion, the recognition by a federal court of the importance of fixing culverts to fish populations is significant.
G Geoffrey M. Goll, PE 11 years ago Thank you, Gary. I had the link right, but not the name. It is now updated. I appreciate the citation of the court case in Washington State. This IS good news and significant that the federal government is recognizing the importance of stream connections for fish passage. I found an article on this recent case here, but if you have the link to the decision that would be appreciated. Unfortunately, it looks as if the case is being appealed by Washington State, so we will keep an eye out for this as it develops. It would be an interesting case study to understand the cost implications for the Indian tribes, as well as the commercial marine fisheries as a result of lost breeding habitat for salmon.
R Rocko 11 years ago Great blog, Geoff! A nice balance of information and cool facts for a blog post. One thing that has been particularly encouraging on the West coast has been the consideration, albeit minor, of other aquatic organisms in assessing and designing culverts.
G Geoffrey M. Goll, PE 11 years ago Thanks! You bring up a very important point regarding “other aquatic organisms”. While fishery biologists tend to be the representatives of state agencies to weigh in on whether there is a need to install or retrofit a pipe to allow passage, all too often fish are the focus. Especially in higher elevation headwaters within in the Appalachian Mountains for example, fish are absent and the top organisms are stream based salamanders, such as spring salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus), northern dusky salamander (Desmognathus fuscus), and northern two-lined salamander (Euycea bislineata). These important top predators need passable culverts to help avoid exposure on roads from vehicles and predators. It needs to be emphasized that it is “aquatic organism passage”, not “fish passage”, to be inclusive to all. Glad you brought this up! Hope all is well.
K Kelly Hughes 11 years ago It would be great to work with hydrologists and biologists to further develop solutions that are already proving successful. The aim is to cater to a wider range of species in various situations. Please let me know if you want to collaborate??? Cheers
C Charles Dashe 11 years ago Thanks Geoffrey, this is a great read. It just calls on us that are involve in designing structures like culvert bridges to take into consideration the smaller organisms that ensure that the ecosystem is balanced. Thanks for this in-depth information!
G Geoffrey M. Goll, PE 11 years ago Thank you for your comment Charles. It is always beneficial to keep in mind the consequences of a project and how its impacts can be mitigated.
G Geoffrey M. Goll, PE 11 years ago It is a good idea to view crossings from a cross-species standpoint to allow for a wider range of passage. Thanks. Always looking for collaborative opportunities.
G Geosynthetic Systems 6 years ago Great work!!! Thank for detailing about culvert. it is very interesting and informative article. Thanks, Geoffrey.
A Alicia Byrne 4 years ago Thank you for sharing the different considerations when we want to commence a culvert installation. I have never given a thought to road closures due to culvert installations until now! I would imagine that a good construction project will take into consideration all factors to install a culvert in the least troublesome manner. The importance of culverts in redirecting flow is definitely very important not only to the living organisms in the water but also to us, as humans.