||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||
The County will begin a project to replace a culvert on Killebrew Lake Road, just east of Laporte Road. The FEMA-funded project will install a 12-foot-wide box culvert, specially designed to improve fish passage to Bayhead Creek and withstand significant storms.
Work will begin on July 10 and continue for approximately two to three months. During this time, Killebrew Lake Road will be closed to through traffic. The detour route will be via Orcas Road, McNallie Lane, and Dolphin Bay Road.
“This much-needed project updates our critical infrastructure, while prioritizing the health and vitality of our stream systems,” said Kendra Smith, the County’s Environmental Stewardship Director. “This is a great example of the County’s commitment to environmental stewardship through thoughtful engineering.”
Project History:
A storm in January of 2020 damaged the previous culvert under Killebrew Lake Road. With consultation from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), San Juan County immediately replaced the 24-inch culvert with the long-term goal of installing a more permanent, fish-passable culvert in the future. Now, the Public Works Department has contracted with Matia Contractors from Ferndale to install the new culvert. The project is funded by emergency response and replacement funds from FEMA.
Project Timeline:
The project will begin July 10 and is expected to be completed by the end of September.
Project Information:
Construction work will occur during regular working hours with no work being done on the weekends.
Contact: Jeff Sharp, Deputy County Engineer, jeffs@sanjuanco.com, (360) 370-0509
About San Juan County’s Public Works Department:
San Juan County’s Public Works Department constructs and maintains county roads. The department offices are located at 915 Spring Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Public Works Department, visit www.sanjuanco.com/277/Public-Works.
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“Work will begin on July 10 and continue for approximately two to three months. During this time, Killebrew Lake Road will be closed to through traffic. The detour route will be via Orcas Road, McNallie Lane, and Dolphin Bay Road.”
Does this mean that for two to three months, those living in the area east of this project will have to travel about 15 extra miles to get to Orcas Landing for the ferry or groceries?
The County is going to close direct access to the ferry, post office, school bus for a few months to what purpose ?
Is there any fish spawning in that creek ?
First a question: Will the project allow residents affected by this surprise road closure to access to our homes via Killebrew road outside work hours and weekends? Hopefully such mitigations have been incorporated into the work plan…
Second, a request to Cindy Wolf, Public Works, and all involved: Please schedule a Zoom session for Q-A to explain all this asap. The summer peak visitor detour proposed increases our neighborhood commute to pick up mail at the Orcas Post Office, groceries, ferry terminal from 5 mins to 45 minutes each way. Environmentally, a toll, hopefully small compared to what we’d like to learn in this Zoom call. Thanks!
On weekends and before and after work hours will the road be open for direct access to the ferry?
Seems like a huge waste of time and county money. Are there really fish going up the stream beside La Porte where the county douses it with road oil every summer. Why don’t they fix the huge dip in La Porte road instead.
This project is funded by Federal Funding (FEMA)
The last culvert is not adequate for long term !
Why it was not done properly, the first time ?
IN 2014, a routine Washington Fish and Wildlife meeting had a seemingly innocuous agenda item., a change to WAC 220-660-190. Subject was Water Crossing Structures if the stream was classified as a fish bearing stream. It’s a long piece of new state code, but essentially any crossing of fish bearing waters now requires a 100 year flood study and a culvert that the waters will not touch the sides of the culvert based on the 100 year flood calculations. The new WAC was approved with only one comment by a commissioner as I recall … the DFW director was asked what such a structure would cost, and he hesitantly guess about $3,000. He apparently was thinking of a forest service road.
I’ve now observed the cost of four of these new structures, ranging from a low about $450,000 to more than $7,500,000. State highways have a court order that is expected to cost over $4 billion to implement this water crossing requirement.
Problem is when I asked the DFW commissioners what study have been done on these new 100 year flood fish passages to show an improved fish population, the answer was “we have never been funded to do a fish population change study.”
I noted yesterday (4 June 2023) that there was no water flow in the new well placed 24 inch culvert. So this is an ephemeral stream … no summer water flow. So that raises the question of what fish, if any are going to be saved, and at what cost? FEMA is reportedly paying … so this is apparently a federal national emergency situation.
More to follow, like who paid for the 100 year flood study, and did SJC apply to FEMA for this grant, and if so, what justification was used.
Not opposing the culvert since SJC crews will not have to ensure it is not debris blocked when the rainy season starts, but be interesting to see what they documented to FEMA get the grant.
More to follow (HOPEFULLY).
This is BS and should not be allowed. At the VERY LEAST they should open one lane on the fing weekend so we can use it then. Notice was not served properly on us. I heard it from a neighbor. Typical of organizations to discount ALL the people who will be affected by this road closure. It is simply not acceptable that we are treated with such disrespect. KEEP IT OPEN ON THE WEEKEND PLEASE OR PROVIDE A ONE LANE WAY AROUND FOR US FISHES……
Robert Dashiell, thank you for the important background and the questions it raises. A 6′ box culvert to allow fish passage in an ephemeral stream? Without requisite flood or fish studies? Even if FEMA is funding this project, we’re funding it with tax dollars–at what cost? Sounds like this is about way more than the long-term road closure. Public Works and Council need to provide some answers. I believe Council is meeting at the Orcas Center on June 13.