SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking public comment on a request to exempt from fish passage requirements a culvert replacement project at the intersection of SW 201st and SW Jay St. in Washington County.

Clean Water Services has proposed replacing two existing culverts at the intersection with  one 36-inch culvert. This action has triggered Oregon’s fish passage requirements.

Historically, this unnamed tributary of Beaverton Creek may have provided limited habitat for native migratory fish species such as cutthroat trout or juvenile coho and steelhead. However, due to urbanization, fish passage barriers and other stream impacts, the tributary no longer contains native migratory fish.

According to Ken Loffink, ODFW assistant Fish Passage Program coordinator, ODFW may grant the exemption if there is no appreciable benefit to fish from providing passage. On the unnamed tributary site, there are multiple fish passage barriers downstream, while upriver the stream is largely sub-surface, flowing from its source roughly 200 feet through a pipe before entering the project site.

Because of these site conditions, ODFW has made an initial determination that even if fish passage was provided at the project site, the action would not result in an appreciable benefit to native migratory fish.

Therefore, unless public comment is provided that would affect the Department's determination, the exemption request will be approved. 

In the meantime, members of the public will have until August 30, 2011 to submit written comments on the proposed plan. The fish passage exemption application and the Department’s benefit analysis are available at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/passage/ .

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