The Yakama Nation and Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group are collaborating on a fish passage and restoration project on Rattlesnake Gulch Creek, a tributary to Swale Creek in the Klickitat River Basin. The project is located approximately 5 miles from the town of Klickitat on private property.
Construction activities will entail replacement of two undersized culverts with two prefabricated bridges from Pacific Bridge and Construction (19' long x 15' wide and 23' long by 15' wide). The project is intended to reconstruct the Lovers Lane Road crossings of Rattlesnake Gulch Creek to alleviate chronic maintenance issues, allow upstream migration of all fish species and age classes, and facilitate the longitudinal movement of wood and sediment across a range of streamflow conditions.
The Lovers Lane Road crossings of Rattlesnake Gulch Creek are located approximately 300 feet upstream of the confluence with Swale Creek (45.812754, -121.087998). The creek enters Swale Creek at river mile 0.5. Swale Creek is an important tributary to the Klickitat River. This project will improve fish passage by removing a small concrete dam and the replacement of two road culverts with bridges. Each of the current road culverts partially block passage to the east and west forks of the creek. The project will open a total of 3.5 miles of habitat to Mid-Columbia Steelhead. The project will also regrade a stream bank, remove railroad ties used for bank stabilization, regrade the stream channel (roughened riffle) and install habitat logs.
The project will be implemented August through September 15, 2023.
If interested in the project, please attend a pre-bid site walk-through on Monday 5/22/23 at 1 pm. Interested parties will meet at 1 pm at the Yakama Nation Fisheries office, 1575 Horseshoe Bend Rd, Klickitat WA, 98628. The office is approx. 1.5 miles from the project site.
Please contact David Lindley (509-830-8005) with any questions.
