Wolfe Creek Fish Passage Culvert Replacement
Tillamook Estuaries Partnership

VAI provided the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP) with design and construction services for the replacement of an existing culvert and fish passage improvements on Wolfe Creek, a tributary of the Nestucca River near Beaver, Oregon. The previous culvert, installed in the 1950s, was undersized and had been surveyed by the Bureau of Land Management as a fish passage barrier.

VAI designed a 22-ft x 11-ft bottomless arch culvert to span the active stream channel, thereby reducing channel velocity. Additionally, VAI’s design included the placement of large rock and cobbles to create the new channel and reduce the severity of jumps through the project reach. These improvements coupled with large wood placement upstream substantially improved fish passage and habitat quality.

Specific project tasks included thorough hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, the design of custom concrete culvert footings, coordination with Tillamook County roadway engineers, and the completion of construction plans, a cost estimate, and specifications in Oregon Standard Specification format (ODOT format). As part of the construction services, VAI submitted detailed observation reports and project completion assessments to TEP.

This project contains several other elements that further highlight VAI’s responsiveness and thoughtful design approach. Just prior to construction, a large storm event caused upstream cobbles and sediment to be deposited within the project reach. VAI assisted TEP by reevaluating the channel grading plan, considering the new channel conditions, to provide a temporary stream crossing that allowed continuous access to the private properties serviced by the existing gravel road. This stream diversion plan served to protect the project site from several summer rain events, reducing the project’s environmental impacts. to use a bottomless arch culvert reduced project costs when compared to similar concrete structures.