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Fish passage access work underway at Drews Creek

Drews Creek fish passage work: Construction crews are currently working on fish passage culvert improvements at Drews Creek, approximately 25 miles west of Lakeview.

Motorists traveling westbound on Highway 140 may notice construction delays at Drews Creek. Fish passage work is currently underway at the site’s junction with the highway and beyond, and the work is estimated to continue through Oct. 15, according to a press release issued by the Fremont-Winema National Forest.
According to Fremont-Winema National Forest Fish Biologist Dave Hogen, culvert work is the primary focus, with improvements underway to improve access for native fish to some 20 miles of streams.
A concrete culvert passing under the old Highway 140 is being removed and restoration work performed on the site’s stream bed, while the six-foot diameter metal culvert under the current Highway 140 will be replaced with a larger 17-foot diameter unit for improved fish passage.
According to Fremont-Winema National Forest Public Iinformation Officer Lisa Swinney, a ditch was constructed and pipe placed to divert Drews Creek away from the site of the work being done.
“The current culvert is not allowing the fish a natural passage,” she said.
Hogen said that the 17-foot diameter replacement culvert will provide much more ample opportunity for fish to pass through and continue upstream.
“This matches the bankful width, which is approximately the high flow every two years,” he said. “We want the fish to swim through there under the full range of conditions, pretty much.”
Hogen noted that the width is determined by examining rocks along the stream bed.
Fish populations known to be native to Drews Creek are spring spawners that migrate to spawning grounds during springtime flows, Hogen said. Some of these fish prefer to spawn in headwater streams, and blockages to passage impact their ability to do so.
“When there’s blockages, they are forced to have to find less than desirable locations in order to spawn,” he said.
Known to be native to the area are redband trout, two species of lamprey, sculpin, Goose Lake sucker and pit roach, Hogen said.
Some of these species are known to be listed as sensitive species by the federal government, Hogen said, such as redband trout and sculpin. These two examples are considered the most important species to watch, and are considered under priority care, he said.

...for the rest of the story, refer to this week's edition of the Lake County Examiner.

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