Restoration of Fish Passage at Highway Culverts on Tea Creek and John Brown Creek.

In 1997, the Ministry of Transportation (MoT), Bulkley Lakes District, undertook unprecedented measures to ensure highway culverts at Tea Creek and John Brown Creek enabled fish passage. MoT worked in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (MELP), the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund (HCTF), and two non-governmental organizations: the Gitanyow Fisheries Authorities (GFA) and the Steelhead Society of BC (SSBC) to identify and to resolve the fish passage barriers caused by the existing culverts. This case study details the restoration of fish passage through culverts at three locations near Smithers, two in Tea Creek (Kitwanga River Watershed) and one in John Brown Creek (Bulkley River Watershed).

In keeping with the government’s goal of fish protection, MoT is committed to ensuring fish passage and fish habitat are not compromised by the Province’s highways. The Ministry implemented the Culvert Retrofit Program in 1998 to identify and prioritize culverts along fish bearing streams that require work to enable fish passage. MoT works with DFO and MELP to identify and to resolve fish barriers caused by culverts. DFO and MELP have jurisdiction over the protection of fish and fish habitat as defined by federal and provincial legislation. These organizations work cooperatively by dividing the responsibility for fish protection. MELP is responsible for the management and protection of freshwater and anadromous fish stocks other than salmon (steelhead, cutthroat trout, and Dolly Varden char). DFO is responsible for the management and the protection of fish habitat, marine fish, marine mammals and Pacific salmon. The Culvert Retrofit Program is undertaken as part of MoT’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship.The Tea Creek and John Brown Creek culverts were identified by DFO and MELP as restricting fish passage at the upstream portion of the Creeks. Tea Creek, a tributary to the Kitwanga River, 96 km northwest of Smithers, and John Brown Creek, a tributary to the Bulkley River, 30 km north of Smithers, support a variety of fish species including summer steelhead, cutthroat and bull trout, Dolly Varden char, and several species of salmon. The goal of the project was to develop effective solutions for successful fish passage through the culverts. The two Tea Creek culvert locations presenting a barrier to fish passage were the Highway 37 and the twin Moore Road culverts. The Highway 37 culvert consisted of a five meter multiplate structure with a 1.2 meter outlet drop. The Moore Road culverts, located upstream of Highway 37, consisted of twin corrugated metal pipe culverts with a velocity barrier and an outlet drop of 0.5 to 0.7 meters. Both culverts had blocked migrations of summer steelhead, cutthroat trout and coho salmon for a 25-year period.Following the success of the Tea Creek culvert retrofits, funds were allocated to retrofit the culvert at John Brown Creek on Highway 16. The Highway 16 site consisted of two-2.2 meter multiplate culverts with a one meter outlet drop posing a barrier to fish passage (summer steelhead, coho and pink salmon) in the lower reaches of the creek.Post-remediation monitoring programs of Tea Creek and John Brown Creek were undertaken to evaluate the success of fish passage. The GFA, MELP, DFO and MoT monitored (via photo points and on-site visits) both creeks to evaluate the lock block weir system and riprap riffles.

MoT’s primary objective was to resolve fish passage problems and re-open available fish habitat in Tea Creek and John Brown Creek. To fulfill this objective, MoT was required to:

1. Build partnerships with DFO, MELP, HCTF, and non-governmental organizations (Gitanyow Fisheries Authorities and the Steelhead Society of BC);
2. Modify existing highway culverts to enable fish passage at the identified culvert related barriers.
3. Open productive fish spawning and rearing habitats for steelhead, cutthroat trout and several species of salmon and allow them to recolonize unused habitat;
4. Minimize construction impacts on fish and fish habitat while installing new culverts, weirs and riffles.
5. Facilitate MoT engineering technicians and contractors to gain valuable expertise in fish passage restoration projects.

To continue working with governmental agencies such as DFO and MELP, and to identify and resolve fish barriers caused by failing or poorly located culverts.To maintain partnerships and to receive financial support with non-governmental agencies such as streamkeeper organizations and stream stewardship programs to facilitate remediation of larger culverts.To work with a limited budget by prioritizing retrofit projects.

The Bulkley Lakes District, MoT, DFO and MELP operate under an agreement to work cooperatively in the identification, prioritization and remediation of culverts impeding fish passage. Identification of fish passage restrictions can result from physical barriers in culvert length and grade, inlet and outlet pools, water levels, and water velocities. A matrix was used to prioritize annual retrofit projects. Precedence was based on: 1) number of fish species present in the stream; 2) endangered status of the fish species; 3) degree of barrier presented by the culvert; 4) habitat value; 5) potential length of the new habitat to be provided; and 6) availability of funding. Tea Creek and John Brown Creek were identified as priority locations for remediation because they were habitats for summer steelhead, cutthroat trout, and several species of salmon including the endangered Skeena Coho. Tea Creek is a tributary of the Kitwanga River that provides high quality spawning and rearing habitat.MoT looked to government and non-government organizations to help fund high priority fish passage projects. Potential funding sources were secured and partnerships with local environmental agencies were pursued from the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund [funded by anglers, hunters, trappers and guides], DFO, MELP, GFA, SSBC and MoT. The GFA, a First Nations organization formed under the Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy, co-manages fisheries resources within the Gitanyow territory. SSBC is responsible for protecting, enhancing and restoring BC wild salmonid and their habitat.Work on fish habitat had to be completed within restrictions prescribed under the Water Act. Fish were the least sensitive to instream disturbances during the summer months. The initial plan was to retrofit only two Tea Creek culverts, however this project was completed under budget and the surplus funding was allocated to retrofit John Brown Creek. John Brown Creek was retrofitted to provide passage along alienated habitat due to an obstruction caused by a one-meter outlet drop and high water velocity through the culvert.

Tea Creek and Moore RoadProblem
In May 1997, the Tea Creek culvert crossings at Highway 37 and Moore Road were assessed for retrofit. The existing culverts were impeding upstream fish migration by a large outlet drop. Stream and culvert assessments were initiated. The water depth in the Highway 37 culvert was less than 30 centimeters and the Moore Road culvert no longer carried water.MoT engineering technicians used a Laser Tech Inc. Impulse 200 range finder to measure the length and slope of the culverts, and used a total station to map and produce site plans. Technical experts, contracted by MELP, visited both culvert crossings on four separate occasions to record spawning and migrations of summer steelhead and cutthroat trout. GFA assisted by using minnow traps to determine fish presence through the placement of traps in suitable locations upstream and downstream of the culverts. Observations by MELP and sampling efforts by GFA showed there were no anadromous fish upstream of these structures. Also, fish were not observed attempting to enter either one of the culverts, suggesting an obstruction of fish passage. In May 1997, the water level dropped considerably at both locations due to low spring runoff.Design
MELP submitted a funding application to HCTF and initiated partnerships in an effort to gather adequate resources to remediate the two culvert crossings. Technical experts at HCTF reviewed the proposals. The Public Advisory Board completed a review and recommended the project for funding. In April 1998, a HCTF Trustee approved a $15,000 contribution to finance the Tea Creek culvert retrofits. The GFA contributed $4,000 and the SSBC committed $2,000 towards the construction costs of this project.

MoT staff designed Tea Creek improvements with recommendations supplied by DFO engineers. The Tea Creek design consisted of re-establishing fish passage at the two identified culvert related barriers by: 1) raising the level of the plunge pool at the Highway 37 culvert and 2) replacing the twin corrugated metal pipe barrier on Moore Road with a 3300 mm bottomless pipearch.

Remediation for the Highway 37 culvert utilized a DFO weir design to reduce the outlet drop. The weir design incorporated tailwater controls that elevated the outlet pool. The design entailed a total of seven weirs, constructed at five to seven meter intervals to facilitate upstream fish migration. Pre-cast concrete lock blocks, in lieu of rock, were notched and used to create the plunge pools. The outlet was armored with riprap to prevent streambed scour. The new bottomless pipearch at Moore Road was installed during a period of low flows in July, 1998 at a 3% gradient.

Results
Initially it was found that the plunge pools at Highway 37 culvert did not seal as leaking occurred between the lock block spaces. In 1999, the high stream velocities from the spring freshet caused the remaining void spaces in the plunge pools to seal with sediment. Late summer observations at the Highway 37 site indicated that successful spawning and rearing areas have resulted from the re-construction of the weirs.

The Moore Road culvert provided an unrestricted passage for fish by minimizing impacts to the natural channel by retaining the natural streambed and stream width.

Ongoing performance monitoring for Tea Creek was undertaken by DFO, MELP, MoT and GFA to evaluate the lock block weir system and the bottomless pipearch design. Photo points and on-site visits were used to compare the success of this project with pre-construction observations. The Creek was monitored for fish passage and structural stability. The GFA contributed to the long-term monitoring of fish passage (summer steelhead, cutthroat trout, and coho salmon) during their respective migration periods. They conducted creekwalks to determine which species and populations were using the new habitat and monitored for potential stream obstructions, such as beaver dams, to ensure that they did not create problems for fish migration. Juvenile sampling upstream and downstream of both culvert sites indicated an abundance of salmonid species. Fish passage was no longer a problem at this site and seven kilometers of habitat was re-opened in Tea Creek.

The Tea Creek project was completed under-budget and as a result, the surplus funds from HCTF, MELP, and SSBC were used for the culvert retrofit at John Brown Creek.

John Brown Creek

Problem
The culvert at John Brown Creek was assessed for fish presence upstream and downstream. Site studies indicated that many small but productive streams were alienated from fish production due an obstruction from a one-meter outlet drop and high culvert velocity. On-site inspections were conducted by a joint DFO, MELP, and MoT team to see that if the culvert was retrofitted, eight kilometers of unused habitat would be opened up to fish. MoT developed a plan for culvert retrofit and instream work.

Design
A “Newberry Riffle” design was used for the weirs to create a ‘natural’ pool and riffle sequence at the outlet. These rock riffles functioned to create two pools, that would recruit gravel, aerate water and assist in fish passage. The average pool-riffle spacing was six bank full widths.

Results/Monitoring
A two-phase approach was taken for John Brown Creek: 1) baffles were implemented for juvenile fish passage; and 2) backwatering was done for all fish access. The baffle installation was a MoT design that was retrofitted to the culvert to slow water velocity, to provide rest areas for fish, to promote gravel recruitment, and to trap sediments. In summer 2000, works were undertaken to construct a tailwater pool and riffles to backwater the culvert and to facilitate upstream fish passage. The ‘natural’ rock riffles for retrofitting the 2.2-meter multiplates completed the necessary backwatering. Riprap was placed downstream of the culvert outlets to minimize the height of the culvert from the stream.

Post-remediation monitoring was conducted during the spring freshet in 2001 to ensure that the new eight-kilometer open channel was used by summer steelhead, cutthroat trout, coho, and pink salmon. Also that productive fish spawning and rearing habitat were accessible. Since completion, competition was observed between Dolly Varden char and bulltrout resident fish species, upstream of the culvert.

The culvert retrofit projects at Tea Creek and John Brown Creek were successful at both restoring and creating more productive fish habitat to previously impassable culvert crossings. Anadromous salmonids (coho and pink salmon), resident trout species (cutthroat, rainbow, and bull trout, and Dolly Varden char), and summer steelhead have benefited from the instream works.The Tea Creek project was successfully completed in 1998. The weirs constructed at the Highway 37 culvert effectively raised water levels in a network of plunge pools that allowed fish to ‘leap’ their way up and through the culvert. Late summer observations at the site indicated that the weirs created spawning and rearing areas for steelhead. It was determined that future work to the weir structure might be required to ensure continued fish passage. To date, all the structures have withstood a very high spring freshet event and the long-term durability for these weirs looks promising. Fish passage is no longer a problem at both the Highway 37 and Moore Road culvert locations.The experience at the Tea Creek sites proved invaluable in the design and implementation of the backwatering weir on John Brown Creek. In 1999, MoT completed the site preparation, surveying, and material procurement for the John Brown Creek culvert retrofit for construction to take place during the instream work window in August, 2000.The success of the culvert project was measured by the length of new habitat made available to fish species and by the partnerships established during the delivery of this project. Agency cooperation was necessary at government and non-government levels and was the key to successful project completion.

The Tea Creek and John Brown Creek culverts require ongoing monitoring by MELP to ensure culverts enable fish passage. If it is found during periodic monitoring that any of the culvert sites are not passable to fish, further enhancement will be done.The Culvert Retrofit Program is a priority for MoT, however, the Ministry does not have sufficient funds to meet program needs. As a result, current funding levels allow only smaller size culverts to be replaced or retrofitted. MoT will continue to seek partners to carryout work on the larger multiplate structures like those identified in this case study.

Habitat Conservation Trust Fund
Rod Silver
Manager, HCTF and Sp
780 Blanshard Street
Victoria, BC Canada
V0J 2N0
Phone: (250) 356-6124
Email: Rod.Silver@gems2.gov.bc.caMinistry of Transportation
Bulkley Lakes District Office
Fred Seychuk
3793 Alfred Ave.
Smithers, BC Canada
V0J 2N0
Phone: (250) 847-7731
Email: Fred.Seychuk@gems7.gov.bc.caMinistry of Environment, Lands and Parks
Fish, Wildlife and Habitat
Dana Atagi
Fisheries Section He
2nd Fl. 3726 Alfred Ave.
Smithers, BC Canada
V0J 2N0
Phone: (250) 847-7290
Email: datagi@smithers.env.gov.bc.caGitanyow Fisheries
P.O.Box 148
Kitwanga, BC Canada
V0J 2A0
Phone: (250) 849-5373The Steelhead Society of BC
#103-131 Water Street
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6B 4M3
Phone: (604) 684-6242
Fax: (604) 684-4745