Leach Creek Culvert Replacement
City of University Place
University Place, Washington
Exeltech completed all design and permitting of a three-sided box culvert incorporating a stream bed simulation design to restore fish passage to several acres of spawning habitat in the Leach Creek watershed upstream of Bridgeport Way, a four-lane roadway. The previous five-foot-diameter culvert did not permit fish passage due to its size, length, and slope. The project required a re-profiling of the existing stream for approximately one-quarter mile to build ponds and riffles for fish passage. Several stream alignment and structural options were evaluated to achieve an optimal solution acceptable to all stakeholders. The final stream restoration design included grade control structures to limit the upstream and downstream channel effects and incorporated placement of boulders, log structures, and riparian restoration to create a complete restoration project.
Environmental permitting services included preparing the WSDOT Environmental Classification Summary, coordination of National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 studies and consultation, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Hydraulic Project Approval, and US Army Corps of Engineers permitting.
This project was made possible through grant funding from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board. Exeltech assisted the city with grant application.