Fish passage will be provided over this dam on Murtaugh Creek

Why is the Council working here?

Murtaugh Creek is identified as providing high value habitat for Tualatin Basin native cutthroat and steelhead trout populations. Pamm and Les Davis, the property owners, are working with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the Council to restore fish passage over a three foot flashboard dam structure on the Davis property.  The project will provide access for native cutthroat trout and winter steelhead trout to an additional two miles of high quality spawning and rearing habitat located above the dam on Murtaugh Creek.  

What is the Murtaugh Creek Fish Passage Project?

Project vicinity - click to enlarge

The project is .75 mile upstream from a recently completed fish passage project in which Washington County (in cooperation with Oregon Department of Transportation, which provided mitigation funding through HB 3002), replaced a fish barrier culvert with a full spanning bridge structure on Murtaugh Road.  This bridge allows unrestricted fish passage at all flows up to the dam structure at the project site.  

A fish ladder located on the dam structure at the Davis property was severely damaged during the 1996 winter high flows and subsequently destroyed by winter high flows over the next several years.  Currently there is no fish passage at the dam structure.  

The Council contracted with Swanson Hydrology + Geomorphology (SH+G) to design a fish passage structure for the site.  SH+G designed a series of five rock vortex weirs to be constructed within the active stream channel using large rocks.  Pools will be interspersed between the five weirs to mimic natural step pool morphology typical of higher gradient streams such as Murtaugh Creek.  A low flow channel will be excavated through the pond area upstream of the flashboard dam to improve fish migration during the fall to spring period when the pond is not filled.  Material removed from the pond will be used in the construction of the rock weir structures.  ODFW will provide fish salvage required for the project and will also help the Council with oversight of the project.

An example of the type of weir that will be installed as part of this project

The Council is currently obtaining the needed permits for the project.  The project will be constructed after obtaining necessary permits in late summer/early fall 2008.  Following construction, the riparian areas will be replanted as needed and areas used for staging the construction will be reseeded.

ODFW will monitor the site for several years following project completion.

	Murtaugh Creek Bridge
Murtaugh Creek Bridge after construction (click to enlarge)	In 2003, funding from an OTIA project by ODOT provided Washington County with an exciting opportunity for a fish passage project.  The culvert that passed Murtaugh Creek under Murtaugh Road was acting as a fish passage barrier.  In order to provide mitigation for their project, ODOT provided the funds to replace the culvert with a bridge that would provide fish access to high quality habitat upstream of the project site.  After the project was completed, Washington County received a Stream Project Award, presented by the Oregon State Land Board.  Today, the vegetation has established itself and the stream has returned to its natural form and provides excellent habitat for all aquatic species. (Articles about the Murtaugh Bridge Project from Washington County's Updates Newsletter) Project Announcement Project Completion Project Wins Award	Murtaugh Creek with culvert, before the bridge project

Funding for the fish passage project is provided through:

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Landowner Incentive Program(www.dfw.state.or.us/conservationstrategy)

The Salmon Habitat Fund (www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/oregon/about/art20548.html)

and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Fish Passage program (www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/passage/grants.asp)..