Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, LaConner, WA, USA...

Water Quality Improvement & Habitat Restoration Projects Fornsby Creek Self Regulating Tidegate (SRT) / Salmon Habitat & Estuary Restoration Project
PROJECT UPDATES
	September 2004: The flap-style tidegate in the southern part of the project area was replaced in August since it was starting to fail. A local fabricator made the new SRT out of fiberglass. Heavy equipment contractors were able to: dig out the existing dike fill, remove the old tidegate and 50’ long by 3’ wide pipe; install the new 60’ x 4’ pipe and SRT tidegate; then repair the dike, all within 8 hours while the tide was low. Since this tidegate was not scheduled for replacement so soon, it’s operation will be set to mimic the original flap-style tidegate for at least 1 year. Top: The original tidegate on 7/29/04 during low tide. Middle: Excavators lower the new SRT and pipe into place on 7/30/04. Bottom: The finished SRT and dike on 8/2/04, note black piling in same place as before picture.
	OCTOBER 2004, PART 1: Channel Restoration has begun on the southern sections of the project area. Contractors excavated the filled-in mud to create channels with more gentle slopes. The excavated dirt will eventually be bulldozed into berms along the margins of the channels to mark the edge of the buffer area. Two new channels were dug out in parallel to the main channel to help increase the water storage capacity of the channels. Further work will include the planting of groundcover and buffer plants in the modified areas. 1 (Top): K.Smith at FOR.3. View looking SW toward FOR.4 on 5/6/2004. 2. After excavation and bank shaping. 3. On the FOR.4 culvert looking NE toward FOR.3. 4 (bottom). Completed culvert to bridge replacement and additional side channel excavation.
	OCTOBER 2004, PART 2: The Culvert-to-bridge replacement is completed. A 2 foot wide 20 foot long culvert pipe was replaced with a bridge made from recycled traincars. This 40 foot long 16 foot wide bridge allows more water to flow both up and down the channel. The replaced culvert restricted flow and fish passage due to its small size as well as being a maintenance problem with frequent blockages (and/or beaver dams). The new bridge is supported by ecology blocks, as seen in the picture. Another culvert in the project area will be replaced in the near future. 1 (top): FOR.4 culvert looking NW torwards BIG.4. 2. Site preparation for removing culvert and installing the bridge (8/16/04), view same as previous. 3. Completed bridge, view same as previous.
	SEPTEMBER 2005, PART 1: Channel modifications and berming is completed on Channel Sections 1, 2 and 3 and started on sections 4 and 5. The channel mod’s included removing siltation from the channels, creating berms from the spoils, and grading the buffer areas for increased water storage. Native vegetation will be seeded and planted on the berm and buffer areas this fall and this coming winter/spring.
	For an update on the tidegates see Restoration Plan (part 2 of 3)
	SEPTEMBER 2005, PART 2: Bridge #2 was installed near OLD1 monitoring site. The same type of railcar beds were used here as in bridge #1. This new bridge replaces a farm crossing that did not have a culvert for water or fish passage.
	SEPTEMBER 2005, PART 3: We continued our water quality and channel cross section mapping to determine pre– and post restoration channel changes. SRSC continued their beach seining to determine fish usage in the project area.