Seabeck creek
New Bridge + Culvert Replacement
Restoration Strategy Overview:
Add Large Woody Debris
Culvert Removal + New Bridge
Install Native Plants
Seabeck Creek is one of four Hood Canal Intensively Monitored Watersheds (IMW). The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife IMW program is designed as a Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) study in order to determine whether and how habitat restoration activities influence abundance of salmon and steelhead.
Currently, Seabeck Creek is suffering from a legacy of industrial-scale logging and rural development, resulting in restricted fish passage and impaired hydrological processes. The creek lacks instream wood, channel roughness, and off-channel habitats. Fish cannot progress upstream to their critical spawning and rearing habitats due to a failed fish ladder and an undersized culvert, located where the creek crosses Seabeck Holly Rd. NW. Seabeck Creek is home to Salmon such as Coho, Fall Chum, and ESA listed Puget Sound Steelhead.
HCSEG’s Seabeck Creek restoration efforts have been in the works for the past 15 years, and ultimately seek to improve salmon habitat by enhancing stream connectivity and complexity. In partnership with Kitsap County, we will be replacing the 72-in undersized culvert with a 60 foot bridge. This project will improve fish passage and allow flood waters to pass unobstructed. HCSEG will also add large woody debris (LWD) to the creek. LWD improves habitat complexity through creating more sinuous, multi-thread channels within the waterway, as well as provides roughness to retain sediment. An aggressive re-vegetation effort will also take place on stream banks within the project site, with over 3,200 native plants scheduled to be planted. Native plants help create cooler water for fish, provide bank stabilization, and encourage a healthy and diverse ecosystem of local birds, bugs, and other mammals.
Project Update: Construction has started!
September 21, 2020
We started driving piles for the new bridge that will cross Seabeck Creek. This bridge will replace the undersized culvert and failed fish ladder that are create a barrier for fish passage.
Getting to this phase in the building process required incredibly precise and thoughtful attention to detail plus a lot of collaboration between HCSEG and our project partners. We’re excited to announce that we are moving forward, and that positive change is happening in the name of our sacred Pacific Northwest salmon.
Project Update: Fish Removal
September 28, 2020
Today we were out on Seabeck Creek removing fish from the construction site for the new bridge. Water was slowly drained from the shallow pools on both sides of the culvert while we caught fish, placed them in buckets, and transported them downstream to be released.
With the new bridge finally allowing adequate fish passage, salmon will be able to continue farther upstream in greater numbers to spawn and enhance the health of our Pacific Northwest forests. Your donations, membership and volunteering helps support these HSCEG projects!
Fish caught during the removal:
70 Cutthroat
2 Steelhead
34 Coho
45 Sculpin
Project Update: Dirt Removal
October 2, 2020
Excavating and dirt removal has begun for the new bridge over Seabeck Creek. Prior to this stage, piles were driven into the ground for bridge support and the juvenile salmon, steelhead, cutthroat, and sculpin that were trapped in the shallow pools near the project site were relocated to safety downstream.
Project Update: Sream Restoration Begins
October 16, 2020
Stream restoration has began in earnest this week with the addition of rock, as well as more panels and foundation for the bridge. There’s more to come next week – stay tuned!
Project Update: Stream Building
October 30, 2020
Stream construction has started with the placement of large woody debris (LWD). By adding LWD, we are improving habitat complexity through creating more sinuous, multi-thread channels within the waterway, as well as providing roughness to retain sediment.
Project Update: The Creek is Flowing
November 6, 2020
With much of the stream materials in place and the construction of the bridge well underway, we’re now able to allow water to flow freely again under the new bridge.
Important Update for Local Residents
Road Detour Route
It is anticipated that Seabeck Holly Road NW will be closed to through traffic between Foley Lane and Larson Lane for the duration of the bridge construction. Construction begins August 12th, and is predicted to finish in mid-February. The roadway is scheduled to re-open to vehicle traffic by 12/31/2020. Through traffic will be redirected to use NW Holly Road as an alternative route. This map shows locations of advance detour signage informing motorists of the Seabeck Holly Road closure.
Based on project traffic volumes, Seabeck Holly Road NW will continue to operate at acceptable LOS as a 2-lane roadway under 2040 projected traffic volumes.
Road closure and traffic control shall be coordinated with the local fire department and school district.
