Finger Creek

Failing in-stream infrastructure is removed and replaced to increase flood capacity and restore fish passage, habitat, and functional depth and flow to an important part of the Gales Creek watershed.

Located within the Gales Creek watershed of the Tualatin basin, Finger Creek is a cold-water contributor to Gales Creek and provides essential fish habitat for endangered species like coho salmon and steelhead. To improve water velocity, depth, and aquatic habitat, Biohabitats helped the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District remove multiple culverts and other infrastructure and debris that were impeding fish passage along Finger Creek.

The Biohabitats construction crew removed and replaced undersized and failing culverts, a splashboard dam, and an abandoned railway trestle. Biohabitats relocated residential water lines, demolished each culvert and replaced them with concrete modular abutment bridges provided by Pacific Bridge, demolished and re-graded a splashboard dam, and realigned the stream around the existing railway trestle. To enhance habitat and channel complexity, engineered stream bed cobble material was installed and large wood structures were placed within the stream. In addition to helping the district meet its main objective of enhancing aquatic organism passage in Finger Creek, this project also improved road access, channel stabilization, and alignment. The project required ongoing communication with the adjacent landowners to notify them of traffic control issues, design elements and temporary disturbances.

TAGS

• Construction
• Ecological Restoration