In an effort to get the local fish ecosystem back on track, both the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Department of Fish & Wildlife have been working on removing barriers blocking salmon and steelhead migration.
The two species are anadromous fish, meaning they are freshwater-born, grow to adulthood in the ocean, then return to spawn. That lifecycle supports the local ecosystem, as many die after reproducing, thereby providing food and nutrients to other life-forms.
As Phys.org reported, a judge ordered the state to "repair or replace its culverts" that blocked this natural process. Twenty-one northwest Washington tribes had asked the U.S. District Court to show that the state has a treaty-based duty to preserve these fish runs. While it's been working to resolve this, things have moved slowly, and population levels continue to decline.
Five species of Pacific salmon use waterways in the area, with 50% of them using national forests locally as spawning and rearing habitats. Today, 14 population groups of salmon and steelhead in the area are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, per the State of Salmon report.
In 2020, the local legislature realized there was a need to prioritize and plan the work in order to mathematically optimize progress.
"We really need to be comprehensive if we want to successfully recover salmon," said Carl Schroeder, a fish barrier board member representing the Association of Washington Cities, according to the report.
Natural and human-caused environmental changes have also impacted migratory patterns, with the fish venturing farther north than previously thought. At the same time, Washington state locals have been seeing warmer-climate tropical fish in the area.
NPR affiliate KUOW reported that each culvert replacement is expected to cost about $20 million. As part of the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the state received $1 billion specifically for culvert replacements and work has been ongoing, as Phys.org noted.
By June 2023, the Department of Transportation had fixed 114 culverts, opening access to 502 miles of previously blocked rivers, with plans to open 90% of blocked habitat by 2030.
It's taken nearly four years to gather a panel of scientists and experts to devise a plan for prioritizing fixing fish passage barriers, but a draft of this strategy has already been handed to tribes for feedback.
The hope is to finalize it by the end of the year, while the DOT will ask for further funding to continue its important work.
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