Year of the Salmon: Clearing the Path

By Bryan Dominique
Communications Manager – Office of the Pierce County Council 

When I’m out and about with councilmembers, I often get asked what I do for Pierce County. It’s a tricky question to answer.

I could say I help the Office of the Pierce County Council share its story and encourage civic engagement in government, and that would technically be accurate. It doesn’t quite capture the why or the how though.

Fortunately for me, I received some inspiration earlier this month by speaking with people who work on projects with serious staying power. 

Pierce County Planning and Public Works (PPW) is addressing a significant fish passage and flooding problem on Patterson Road East at Rauch Creek, near Orting. The previous culvert was undersized and in disrepair, impeding upstream migration for native salmon, steelhead, and trout, while contributing to roadway flooding.

The team in PPW is replacing the old culvert with a fish-passable box culvert designed for year-round aquatic movement and stream habitat function for improved fish migration, reduced flood risk, and more resilient local infrastructure.

This work is part of Pierce County’s broader approach to fish barrier removal and habitat restoration, coordinated with:

• Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT): Collaborative planning, funding alignment, and technical support for county and state-owned barrier replacements.
• Local Tribes: Including partners like the Puyallup Tribe, who provide technical review, cultural resource considerations, and salmon recovery expertise.
• Conservation Districts and Regional Salmon Recovery Groups, such as the Pierce Conservation District and the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, support design and habitat planting.
• State Agencies: Funding and regulatory compliance from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) and Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
• Engineering and Construction Firms: Local contractors, including Bayshore Construction, implement the field work in consultation with environmental scientists.

Collaboration ensures that each project maximizes ecological benefit and fits within regional salmon recovery priorities.

But wait, there’s more! They also recently completed a culvert replacement at Horsehaven Creek just east of Patterson Road.  Pierce County completed a major fish passage and flooding mitigation project at 188th Street East in 2022. The site had a problematic, undersized pipe culvert at Horsehaven Creek, which restricted fish passage and contributed to chronic road flooding.

Key Details of the 188th Street East Project

• Old Crossing: A small-diameter culvert that often plugged or overflowed, creating unsafe driving conditions and blocking salmon access.
• New Structure: Installation of a 19.5-foot-span precast concrete box culvert designed for full fish passage and to accommodate heavy seasonal flows.
• Stream and Habitat Improvements: Regraded channel, natural substrate, and native vegetation planting to stabilize banks and provide cover for fish.

Since installation, road flooding incidents dropped significantly. Spawning salmon has been observed upstream for the first time in years, indicating successful habitat reconnection. In addition, the upgraded crossing supports emergency and daily vehicle access, reducing closures.

The 188th Street East project was delivered through a similar network of partners, including Pierce County Surface Water Management, state and tribal agencies, and local engineers. Coordination with WSDOT and WDFW ensured the new culvert met state and federal fish passage standards, while support from the Pierce Conservation District helped ensure robust post-construction habitat restoration.

“A lot of times we drive over roads and bridges and have no idea what happening underneath,” said Vice Chair Paul Herrera (District 2).

Both the Patterson Road East and 188th Street East projects exemplify Pierce County’s science-driven, partnership-based approach to restoring key salmon migration corridors. By working in coordination with state agencies, local tribes, conservation organizations, and engineering experts, these efforts deliver long-term ecological and infrastructure benefits for the region.  Now when people ask me what I do, I might just say I talk and listen to interesting people doing interesting things or talking about them, then share it with you. 

###