Culvert replacement at head of Eagle Harbor
Our first photo of the water year is a little tricky if you haven’t seen this from the kayaker’s/paddleboarders point of view, which is where I took this. Or maybe you’ve walked or biked across the temporary bridge in this photo? This August- October, the City has been replacing an undersized culvert at the head of Eagle Harbor. You can read more about that project here; a primary goal of this project is to create a more natural stream flow and larger-sized passageway for fish to make their way into and out of Cooper Creek, which flows through this culvert and makes its way into Eagle Harbor.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked- but are their fish in Cooper Creek? Why are we bothering? The answer is yes, fish are here, and this project is endeavoring to support more of them. This is a small perennial stream used by a variety of fish species. The history of this creek includes the City’s removal of an in-stream impoundment that had been used for collecting water dating back to the mid-20th century. Following this removal, the Watershed Council in partnership with the City and Suquamish Tribe implemented a 4-year chum salmon restoration program on the stream. This stream hosts coho salmon, as well as cutthroat trout, stickleback, and sculpin. The lower, estuarine (brackish, intertidal) habitat, which is where this work is being done, is important for juvenile salmonids and other fish species, as an area of refuge from larger predators in the deeper waters of the harbor.
Fortunately for all of us who need to use Eagle Harbor Drive, the City and their contractor should be wrapping up their work quite soon, as they are mandated to do so for the protection of fish. The legal work window for in-water construction is tightly controlled in Washington to make sure we aren’t working in streams when salmonids are trying to return to spawning habitat. In general for Kitsap County, this in-water work window is mid-July to mid-October. I know all of us- including the fish- will breathe a sigh of relief when the work is done! But hopefully, the aggravation is a little more bearable knowing that we’re making things better for our fellow fish residents.