February 2021
The Walsh Group Removes Middle Fork Nooksack River Dam, Fish Passage Restored
The Walsh Group has cleared the way for the Washington State salmon population to freely traverse the Middle Fork Nooksack River. The Middle Fork Nooksack River dam was fully removed, the stream channel restored, and a new fish bypass outfall is complete. The bypass guides any fish in the diversion intake safely through the fish screen facility and back into the river a short distance downstream.
Walsh continues the $16 million Middle Fork Nooksack River Fish Passage Project, which also feature a new municipal water diversion facility, including a diversion intake structure, pipeline extension, and fish screen facility. Crews have placed large steel debris racks that will keep logs and boulders out of the water supply system and erected a seal cofferdam on the new intake structure capable of withstanding the higher flow events associated with autumn river flows. This required regulatory agency approval of an extension of the in-water work.
The river is flowing naturally through the historical channel where the dam previously stood and fish can access an additional 16 miles of critical habitat.
Video credit: Sweetwater Films