The project is located on chambers creek estuary in south puget sound near the city of university place and the town of steliacoom in pierce county, washington chambers creek DAM stands 12 feet…

This Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 1 provides $106,900 to develop preliminary designs for the removal of Chambers Creek Dam and replacement of two barrier culverts on spring creek tributaries to Chambers Bay downstream of the dam on Chambers Creek Road in Steilacoom, Washington. The funding will also support technical investigations and reporting for regulatory compliance and project permitting under the official federal grant program titled "Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance" (CFDA #15.608).

The objectives of this Project Grant are to advance restoration efforts for the Chambers Bay estuary through preliminary dam removal and culvert replacement designs. Specifically, the awardee, South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, will develop plans and conduct analyses to restore fish passage and tidal connectivity within the estuary, benefiting several aquatic species and local tribes. The funding portfolio compiled through this and related projects aims to assess, design, permit, and ultimately implement full restoration of the estuary.

The project is located on chambers creek estuary in south puget sound near the city of university place and the town of steliacoom in pierce county, washington chambers creek DAM stands 12 feet tall, three quarters of a mile upstream of the chambers creek delta in puget sound the DAM, constructed in the mid 1930S, impounds approximately 40 of the historic estuary 20 acres the DAM delays upstream adult fish migration, increasing predation and pre spawning mortality rates poor downstream fish passage over the DAM crest and face results in injury and reduced survival of juvenile salmon and trout leaving chambers creek for the ocean the DAM impedes tidal hydrology, sediment transport, tidal marsh habitat, and food web production restoration of chambers BAY and removal of the DAM is of local importance for survival and production of chambers creek salmon and trout and is regionally important as well to provide critical rearing habitat for all puget sound salmon and trout populations along a section of shoreline between the puyallup and nisqually rivers where foraging and refuge opportunities are limited in additional to the DAM, two barriers culverts at the mouths of garrison springs and a unnamed spring creek entering chambers BAY downstream of the DAM limit fish passage, freshwater mixing, and sediment transport processes for foraging and delta fish rearing life stages in chambers BAY a feasibility study was completed in 2019 and IT determined that restoration i e , removal of the DAM and habitat improvement in the estuary would be feasible if done in conjunction with the replacement of the chambers creek road bridge spanning the creek, which is immediately upstream of the DAM site removal of the DAM will make an additional 3 miles of chambers creek, as well as 2 miles of flett creek and 2 7 miles of leach creek, freely accessible activities this project will develop preliminary designs for the removal of chambers creek DAM and replacement of two barriers culverts on spring creek tributaries to chambers BAY downstream of the DAM on chambers creek road the project scope of work will also include technical investigations and reporting for regulatory compliance and project permitting deliverables this project is one of many that will compile a multi year funding portfolio for assessment, feasibility, design, permitting and implementation to restore fish passage and tidal connectivity within the chambers BAY estuary beneficiaries puget sound aquatic species, puyallup tribe, the nisqually tribe, the squaxin island tribe, and pierce county residents