# Presentation: 254497

## Fish Passage at Road Crossings

## Aquatic Habitat Guidelines Program

**Notes:**
The Aquatic Habitat guidelines Program (originally known as the Stream Corridor Workgroup) was formed in 1997 by the Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Ecology and Transportation and later joined by state agencies IAC, Natural Resources, and Federal Agencies US Fish and Wildlife Service and US ACOE.  

## Completed - Fish Passage

**Completed - Fish Passage**

- Before

- After

- HCSEG

- HCSEG

**Notes:**
The first one completed in 2001 and then updated in 2003 was the Fish Passage Design at Road Culverts (Culvert Manual) –  includes a new innovative design guidance to achieve passage for all fish species and life stages using a concept we call “stream simulation”.

## Streambank Protection

**Notes:**
The second guideline completed in 2003 is the Integrated Streambank Protection Guidelines (ISPG).  This manual integrates or combines stream site and reach assessments, and correction techniques with a selection matrix for both bank and habitat protection.

## Stream Restoration

**Notes:**
The most recent guideline completed is the Stream Habitat Restoration Guidelines.  This guideline represents a more pure habitat restoration approach.  This document contains a large tool box of restoration techniques from placement of large wood and log jams to beaver re-introduction.  

## Slide 6

**Notes:**
In addition, there are two draft guidelines completed one, “Fishway Guidelines for Washington State” which has design guidance for formal fish ladders, small tributary fish passage and upstream juvenile salmon passage. 

## Slide 7

**Notes:**
And “Fish Protection Screen Guidelines For Washington State”, which describes fish screen concepts, design criteria, screen cleaning systems.

## AHG Web Page:  http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/ahg

**Notes:**
You can go to the AHG Website to review the information presented here and to find more details.  

## WDFW Culvert Inventory 2003 9746 culverts on fish bearing streams

- 56% Barriers
**Level A criteria**:
- Slope >1%
- Outfall drop >0.8 ft
- No bed material in pipe
- Culvert width <75% of channel
- 	toe width

- 11% Barrier status
- unknown

- 33% Passable

- Barriers are estimated to
- block 7600 miles of stream

## WDFW Culvert Inventory 2003 9746 culverts on fish bearing streams

- Ownership of culverts
-   in inventory               %

- county

- 30

- private

- 30

- state

- 27

- city

- 6

- other/unknown

- 3

- federal

- 3

- tribal

- 0.3

- Does not represent ownership of all culverts in Washington

## Habitat considerationsat road crossings

- Ecological connectivity
- Other species, sizes of fish
- Debris, sediment
- Channel processes

- Habitat considerationsat road crossings

- Upstream, downstream channel impacts

- Sculpin

- Torrent salamander

- Brook Lamprey

- Juv. coho

## Failure mechanisms for culverts occurring along forest roads in northwestern California associated with storm events with recurrence intervals < 12 years.

- Wood/sediment

- 18%

- Hydraulic

- exceedence

- 12%

- Debris torrent

- 2%

- Sediment slug

- 7%

- Wood debris

- 61%

- S. Flanagan, 2004

- N=57

## ecological benefits vs crossing type

- StreamSimulation

- Valleyand Floodplain Processes

- HydraulicMethod

**Ecological Benefits**

- adapted from Bates, 2003

**Crossing structure width**

- Flood capacity

## Culvert width in relation to flood plain

- Natural channels have
-  a bankfull channel
-  an overflow surface or flood plain, of varying extent

## Culvert width in relation to flood plain

- Hydraulically designed culvert
- Passes flood flows
- Allows passage of certain fish, certain flows
- Many undesirable ecological effects

## Culvert width in relation to flood plain

- Channel width culvert
-  Passes flood flows and debris
-  Allows passage of most fish
-  Allows some stream processes

## Culvert width in relation to flood plain

- Stream Simulation culvert
-  Passes flood flows and debris
-  Allows passage of nearly all fish and aquatic organisms
-  Allows many stream processes (including banks)

## Culvert width in relation to flood plain

- Full spanning bridge
-  Passes flood flows and debris
-  Allows passage of all fish
-  Allows all stream and flood plain processes

## Fish passage barriers at culverts

- High drop
- High velocity
- Shallow depth
- Debris
- Turbulence
- Inlet contraction

- Blackjack Ck.

- Chapter 2, P. 13

**Notes:**
Blackjack ck, Kitsap county

## Lambert Ck. 

- Lambert Ck.

**Notes:**
Lambert Ck, Lewis county. No fish found upstream.

## Barriers can occur inside culverts, 

- Barriers can occur inside culverts,
- especially extended culverts

- Parish Ck.

**Notes:**
Barriers exist inside of culverts – especially extended culverts

## High velocity,

- shallow depth

- Deep Ck.

## turbulence

- drop

- velocity

**Notes:**
What’s the barrier? Velocity? Drop? Fish blocked by turbulence first.

## Dickerson Ck. 

**Culverts that do not **
**transport debris and must**
**be maintained**

- Dickerson Ck.

## Road Crossing design process

**Road Crossing design ****process**

- Chapter 3, P. 14

## Culvert Siting 

- Short as possible (long culverts are barriers, obscure habitat)
- minimize road skew, but keep stream skew<30°
- avoid deep fills
- Avoid instability (culverts are fixed points in a moving system)
- alluvial fan
- grade break – *e.g.* edge of valley floor
- areas of lateral migration
- chronic incision
- Spawning reaches must not be
- 	covered
- Seek lowest number of crossings

- Chapter 3, P. 15

## Road crossing design process

- Is a permanent crossing necessary?

**Notes:**
If you can’t make a culvert work, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with the design process. It’s time to consider a bridge.

## No Slope Method

- Bear Ck.

## Hydraulic method

- Retrofit
- with baffles

- WF Hylebos Ck.

## Stream Simulation Method

- Club Ck.

## Bridges

- Consider a bridge when:
- Channel width > 20 ft
- Large debris or sediment movement
- Vertical channel instability
- High stream power (QS) channel
- Wide flood plain

- Little Anderson Ck.

- Chapter 3, P. 16

## Channel Width

**Bankfull width**

**Flood Plain**

## Strictly for fish passage, culvert shape does not matter. 

- Strictly for fish passage, culvert shape does not matter.
- The differences are in regional
- preferences, constructability,
-  cost and construction impacts.

**Notes:**
Strictly for fish passage, shape does not matter. The differences are in constructability, cost and construction impacts.

## Culvert Design for Fish Passage

- HYDRAULIC

- Culvert
- length

- Fish

- Countersink

- STREAM SIMULATION
- D = 1.2W + 2’

**NO SLOPE**
- W = channel width
- Zero slope
- L x channel slope < .2D

- Fish passage
- design flow

- Check inlet bed stability

- Set elevation;
- Countersink at low flow
- Match tailwater at high flow

- Countersink

- Correct channel profile

- Maximum velocity;
- Size, slope, roughness

- Slope up to
- 1.25 x channel slope

- Check flood capacity

- FINAL DESIGN
- Or other option

- Specify bed,
- downstream control

- Chapter 4, P. 17

## No Slope Option

- 1. Culvert at flat gradient

- 2. Culvert bed width equal to channel bed width

- 3. Minimum downstream countersink 20% of rise

- 4. Upstream countersink 40% of rise maximum

- Chapter 4, P. 17

## Tarboo Ck. at Coyle Rd. 

- Tarboo Ck. at Coyle Rd.
- No slope, 2003

**Notes:**
Bottomless with scour to footing. Culvert is undersized.

## North Fork Secret Ck. 

- North Fork Secret Ck.

- Under-sized culvert halts sediment and debris transport, induces u/s channel widening and d/s channel scour.

## Culvert Design for Fish Passage

- Culvert
- length

- Fish

- Countersink

- STREAM SIMULATION
- D = 1.2Wch + 2’

**NO SLOPE**
- W = channel width
- Zero slope
- L x channel slope < .2D

- Fish passage
- design flow

- Check inlet bed stability

- Set elevation;
- Countersink at low flow
- Match tailwater at high flow

- Countersink

- Correct channel profile

- Maximum velocity;
- Size, slope, roughness

- Slope up to
- 1.25 x channel slope

- Check flood capacity

- FINAL DESIGN
- Or other option

- Specify bed,
- downstream control

**Culvert Design for F****ish**** Passage**

- Chapter 6, P. 29

**Notes:**
9/14 moved SS option ahead of hydraulic
Moved hydraulic and rest of show to second ppt

## Culvert DesignStream simulation option

- “Simulate” adjacent natural channel
- Premise: If fish can move through natural channel they can move through simulated channel in a culvert.
- Application
- All species
- Resolves most ecological issues
- Requires detailed engineering design
- New and replacement culverts
- Moderate to high channel slope and culvert length
- Narrow stream valleys

- Chapter 6, P. 29

## Slide 40

## Stream Simulation Width Criteria

- Significant inlet contraction or long culvert may require a larger pipe size.

- Width of bankfull
- channel

- 1.2 x Width of bankfull
- channel + 2 ft

## Club Ck. 

- Club Ck.
- Width ratio = 1.4
- Slope = 6.8%

**Low velocity **
**   ****margin**

**Dry bank at**
**most flows**

**Flow isolated from**
**hydraulically smooth**
**culvert wall**

- Natural streambed

- Good       flood       width

## Determine Suitability of the Site

**Not Suitable**
- Wood dominated
- Unstable

**Suitable**
- Sediment controlled
- Stable

- Determine Suitability of the Site

## Channel must be in equilibriumwithin the culvert’s capacity to accommodate change

- Degrading channel

- Exposed culvert bottom

- Headcut or general channel incision

## Slope Ratio

- Slope ratio must be less than or equal to 1.25.
- Slope ratios > 1.25 represent a change in channel type,
- not simulation of the adjoining channel.

-  U/S Channel gradient

- _Culvert bed gradient_

- Slope ratio  =

## Rock Bands (Low Slope <4%)

- Min 25 feet

- Min 25 feet

- Streambed material

- Space the lesser of: 5 times the width of channel or max. vertical difference between crests < 0.8 feet

- Rock bands

## Rock Bands

**Crest of rock bands have a streambed shape**

## Low slope without bands

**Notes:**
Stream simulation at low gradient – plane bed without roughness elements creates flat bed in background and trench along right bank at downstream end of culvert.

## Culvert bed with no

- stream channel shape.

- Lost Valley Ck.

## Darby Ck. rock bands just after construction 

- Darby Ck. rock bands just after construction

## Darby Ck. rock band during first flood. 

- Darby Ck. rock band during first flood.
- Band has altered but flow is centered and a pool has formed downstream of it.

## High Slope Stream Simulation

- Bed Slope  > 4.0%

- Well-graded, not stratified, native streambed sediment mix.
- Step-pool profile.

## WF Stossel Ck.

- “Big Bob”
- Width ratio = 1.8
- Slope = 6.4%

**Notes:**
Very large culvert.  Does it need to be this big?  No, it can be smaller and still work. 

## Bea Culvert, Xtrib Sherman Ck. 

- Bea Culvert, Xtrib Sherman Ck.
- Culvert bed slope 11%
- 13 ft diameter
- At flood flow

## Stream Simulation Bed Design

- Use natural channel in new installations
- If the channel is in equilibrium and slope is maintained by sediment, use natural channel gradation to duplicate in culvert.
- Pebble count of natural channel to determine D84.
- Use D84 to size designed bed.
- Increase size distribution for
- Inlet contraction
- Increased slope
- If the channel is controlled by debris

- Chapter 6, P. 33

**Notes:**
Use natural channel means build the culvert right over the existing channel without disturbing it.

## Stream Simulation Bed Design

- Alternate methods
- Reference reach  -  other channels with similar slope, depth  and width.
- Sediment stability models as stability check – tractive force (Shield’s), unit discharge (Batthurst), etc.

**Notes:**
Use the models only as checks.

## Culvert Design for Fish Passage

**Culvert**
**length**

**Fish**

- Countersink

- STREAM SIMULATION
- D = 1.2W + 2’

**NO SLOPE**
- W = channel width
- Zero slope
- L x channel slope < .2D

**Fish passage**
**design flow**

- Check inlet bed stability

**Set elevation;**
**Countersink at low flow**
**Match tailwater at high flow**

- Countersink

- Correct channel profile

**Maximum velocity;**
**Size, slope, roughness**

- Slope up to
- 1.25 x channel slope

- flood Check capacity

- FINAL DESIGN
- Or other option

- Specify bed,
- downstream control

**Culvert Design for F****ish**** Passage**

- Chapter 5, P. 19

## Hydraulic Option - Concept

- Countersink 20 % of culvert rise

- Culvert width, slope and roughness determined by hydraulic parameters based on fish and hydrology

- 25 ft

- Maximum Q/A velocity

- Chapter 5, P. 21

**Minimum low flow depth**

## Hydraulic optionGeneral Application

- Retrofits where replacement is difficult and costly and or habitat gain is small (e.g. 6 lane highway with high fill)
- For stable stream channels where debris and bedload transport is low, e.g. spring fed stream channel
- Stream systems where natural
-     processes have been blocked
-     (e.g. urban stream)
- Owner has committed to maintenance
-     of the fish passage structure

- Chapter 5, P. 19

## Hydraulic option

- Design hydraulics based on length of culvert and swimming ability of target species
- Target species
- Washington default: 6” trout year round
- Other species may limit
- Juvenile salmonid
- Hydrology required for fish passage design flow
- Countersink downstream end 20%
- Hydraulic criteria is the definition of a barrier in Washington State

- Table 1, P. 61

**Notes:**
Added “other species likely” because there will likely be species with specific timing with greater design flows than trout year round

## Swimming Abilities of Salmon and Trout

- From Evans and Johnston (1980), developed by Ziemer, ADFW

**WDFW criteria**
** ****for 6” trout**

- 4

- 2

## Velocity Table (fps)

|  | Trout > 6 in. | Pink, Chum | Chinook, Coho, Steelhead | Juvenile
Salmonids
(fry/fingerling) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Culvert Length |  |  |  |  |
| 10 – 60 | 4, 4 | 5, 6, 5 | 6, 6, 5 | 1.1/1.3, 2, 1 |
| 60 - 100 | 4, 4 | 4, 5, 4 | 5, 5, 5 | 1.1/1.3, 2, 1 |
| 100 - 200 | 3, 3 | 3, 4, 3 | 4, 4, 4 | 1.1/1.3, 1 |
| > 200 | 2, 2 | 2, 3, 2 | 3, 3, 3 | 1 |
| Over 300 | 1 | 2 | 2, 2 | 1 |

- White = WDFW        Yellow = ODFW Prop.       Green = NOAA Fish Prop.

## Fish passage hydrology

- High Design Flow:  Flow that is not exceeded more than 10% of the time during the months of adult fish migration
- Low Design Flow:  Meet minimum depth at Q7L2 or zero flow condition (NOAA Fisheries and ODFW 95%)

## Fish Passage Design Flow

**Hydrologic analysis - Order of preference**
- 		1.	Existing stream gauge data
- 		2.	Continuous simulation model
- 		3.	Local regression model
- 		4.	Regional regression model

- Chapter 5, P. 22

## Culverts in tidal areas

- The design of culverts in estuaries is not simply a matter of fish passage.  Estuary openings directly influence habitat-forming processes:
- Sediment transport
- Salt/fresh water mixing
- Circulation patterns
- Particle residence time
- Tidal distortion

## Culverts in tidal areas

- Tidally influenced culverts must
- be evaluated for passage at all tidal elevations.
- The goal is passage 90% of the time.

- MLLW

- MHHW

- Tidal prism volume must be added to fresh water storm flow to determine passability.

- Chapter 5, P. 24

## Hydraulic option roughness

- Culvert walls
- Baffles
- Limitations: Turbulence, debris, maintenance
- Roughened channel
- Bed stability
- Variety of migration pathways
- Turbulence limitation though higher EDF than baffles

- Current research is ongoing into juvenile fish passage through
- various culvert treatments.

**Notes:**
9/14 changed roughened channel description

## Baffles

- Chapter 5, p. 26, and Appendix D, P. 72

- WF Hylebos

- We really don't understand the effects of baffles on juvenile salmonid migration and the movement of other organisms
- Baffles are prone to catching debris.
- Baffles are not based on stream processes.

## Maintenance is essential:

- Debris caught on baffle

- Maintenance is essential:

-  Very difficult to see and remedy blockages
-  Regular inspections required once weekly 	during the fish passage season
-  Responsibility must be clearly assigned
-  Design must allow worker to walk through

## plunge vs stream

- (weir)

- Streaming Flow
- (baffle)

- Shallow flow depth over weir
- with respect to weir height

- Increased flow depth over baffle
- with respect to baffle height

## Low Flow – Baffles as weirs

- Low Flow – Baffles as weirs

## Higher Flow – Baffles as roughness

- Higher Flow – Baffles as roughness

## Dickerson Ck 

- Exceptionally difficult replacement conditions:

-  Very high road fills
-  Long culverts (>300 ft)
-  Uninterruptable traffic
-  Acceptance of ecological impacts to non-target fish and aquatic    organisms and the flow of      watershed materials.
-  Good passage for adult chum, coho,      and steelhead.

- Dickerson Creek Jacked pipe with baffles (acting as weir at this flow)

## Roughened Channel

- Coal Ck.
- Roughened channel
- Width ratio = 0.57
- Slope = 5%

## Roughened Channel Culvert Design

-  Uses **Hydraulic Design Criteria.**
-  **Experimental procedure, **we don’t know how well it works.
-  Design process may used both inside culvert or as an open 	channel.
-  Contact WDFW for assistance in roughened channel design.

- Appendix E, P. 76

## NF EB Tarboo Ck. 

- NF EB Tarboo Ck.

- Roughened channel culverts have had varied success.
- Good roughened channels use natural stream bed materials in a way that creates complex and durable bed structure.

## Roughened channel outside a culvert

- Road impounded wetland created valuable rearing habitat.  Roughened channel used to connect wetland with downstream habitat.

## Which is best?

-  short, low slope culverts
-  simple situations (single lane road, low fill)
-  confined to moderately confined channels
- Stream Simulation
-  steeper, longer culverts
-  improved ecological connectivity required
-  moderately confined channels
- Hydraulic Method
-  retrofits
-  exceptional circumstances
- Bridge
-  wide, steep, or high energy streams
-  high potential for vertical or
- 	horizontal instability
-  high debris or sediment load

## Culvert Design For Fish Passage

- Culvert
- length

- Fish

- Countersink

- STREAM SIMULATION
- D = 1.2W + 2’

**NO SLOPE**
- W = channel width
- Zero slope
- L x channel slope < .2D

- Fish passage
- design flow

- Check inlet bed stability

- Set elevation;
- Countersink at low flow
- Match tailwater at high flow

- Countersink

**Correct channel profile**

- Maximum velocity;
- Size, slope, roughness

- Slope up to
- 1.5 x channel slope

**Check flood capacity**

**FINAL DESIGN**
**Or other option**

- Specify bed,
- downstream control

## Long Profile   

- Long Profile

- Long profile is necessary to understand reach-level behavior of the channel
-  identify grade breaks
-  assess regrade potential and effects
-  average scour depth of pools
-  determine channel incision
-  channel characteristics for stream simulation

- Survey minimum 40 channel widths
- plus culvert length

- Chapter 7, P. 40

**Notes:**
In alluvial channels

## Scale of Problem = Scale of Solution

- Short

- Long

- Overall gradient

- Outlet scour – Solution at culvert scale

- Incised channel –
- Reach solution; regrade

## Siebert Ck. 

- Channel incision is a natural process in
- many areas of the state. Culvert designs
- must accommodate this process.

- Siebert Ck.

**12ft**

**Notes:**
Siebert Cr. Channel downgraded 15 feet in 50 years. All culverts in area have same history. Be aware of that history for new culverts. This was replaced with a bridge in 1999.

## Regrade control options

**Tools**
**  ****Log Sills**
**  ****Baffles**
**  ****Plank Sills**
**  ****Roughened Channel**
**  ****Boulder Controls**
**  ****Fishway**
**  ****LWD**

- Chapter 7, P. 44

## X-weirs to control regradetemporary “beaver dams”

- X-weirs to control regradetemporary “beaver dams”

- Physt R. trib

## Log controls

- Rip rap bank protection excessive in
- this installation.

- No Rip rap used here.

- Level of bank protection dependant on:
-   erodibility of soil
-   erodibility of stream bed
-   vegetation
-   abundance of bedload
-   gradient relative to adjacent channel

## Indian George Ck. 

- Indian George Ck.

- Vee Log Weir
- Difficult to construct
- Concentrates flow in center
- 	of channel
- Deep scour hole
- Not widely used

## Plank control

-   Small streams
-   Remote sites
-   Hand labor
-   Wetland/off-channel sites

- Appendix I, P. 105

**Notes:**
Add slide 

## Boulder controls

- Culvert manual does not recommend boulder controls where a
- specific elevation must be maintained.

## Road Impounded Wetlands

- Undersized culverts and impervious roadfills modify natural drainage patterns to create wetlands in places where free flowing streams once prevailed.

- Chapter 7, P. 42 (Road Impounded Wetlands guidance available on web).

## Flood Capacity

**WAC 220-110-070:**

- Culvert shall...maintain structural integrity to the 100-year peak flow with consideration of the debris loading likely to be encountered.
- Fill ... shall be protected from
- erosion to the 100-year peak
- flow.
- ...avoid inlet scouring...
- ...prevent erosion of streambanks
- downstream...

## Flood capacity 

-   Since most culverts fail from debris rather
-  than water and
-   most stream transported debris is shorter than channel width*
-   it follows that culverts sized at least  channel width are least likely to fail.

- *99.5% of wood transported in low order channels is < channel width.
- S. Flanagan, 2004.

## Trash racks

-  Trap debris
-  Create barriers to fish
-  Increase risk of catastrophic 	failure
-  Prevent the movement of 	debris and bed material 	to the downstream 	watershed.

- Chapter 1, P. 12

## Tide / Flood Gates

- Chapter 9, P. 49

## Fishways

-   Address specific species and life 	stages of fish
-    Provide maximum vertical gain over 	given distance
-   Operate in a restricted range of 	flows
-   Block some aquatic organisms, debris 	and bedload under certain 	circumstances

- Chapter 10, P. 54

- Fishways are formal fish passage structures

- McDonald Ck. fishway backwaters
- existing culvert

- _Fishway Guidelines for Washington State_
- -*draft guidelines available on the web.*

## Fishway in a pipe.  

- Haven Lake outlet

- Requires
-   Stable flows
-   Minimal debris and bedload
-    Designed to pool volume criteria
-   Enough headroom to be maintained
-   Maintenance schedule and 	responsible party

## Sometimes no crossing

- 				 is the best crossing...