DESIGN OF FISH PASSAGE FOR BRIDGES AND CULVERTS (HEC-26)
Proposed by:
FHWA Advocate:
WSDOT Advocate:
Budget:
Rollin Hotchkiss, Michael Barber
Jorge Pagán, Leader, Hydraulics and Geotechnical Team
Sterling Jones, Turner Fairbanks Hydraulics Laboratory
Mark Browning, Western Federal Lands Highway Office
Matt Witecki
2 years for a total of $150,000
Background
Fish passage at culverts and bridges is an increasingly important design criterion. The
Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) estimates that more than 1,200 barrier culverts exist
on about 7,000 miles of highways throughout the State. The Forest Service and Federal Fish and Wildlife
Service share the same concerns, as there are seven salmonid species listed as endangered in the region.
Regarding design, Washington State leads the way with the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Fish
Passage Design at Road Culverts Manual and their ongoing project, Aquatic Habitat Guidelines.
Implementation routinely results in culverts spanning more than 20 feet, qualifying them as bridges. The
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is proposing to promulgate a Hydraulic Engineering Circular
(HEC) to treat this topic: HEC-26 Design of Fish Passage Culverts. A draft outline has been produced.
FHWA is looking for a qualified group to produce the document, and they have contacted us to do the work
with earmarked resources. This will ensure that the work is performed at WSU by faculty knowledgeable
in fish passage issues.
Drs. Hotchkiss and Barber have recently completed a WSDOT report (WA-RD 545.1) describing
hydrology for design of fish passage for Eastern Washington. Dr. Hotchkiss has also completed projects on
using artificially created turbulence to influence the swimming paths of juvenile salmonids, and on a
numerical simulation of a swimming fish. He also has served on the steering committee for WSDOTsupported juvenile salmonid culvert test bed located at the Skookumchuck Fish Hatchery and is active on
the Transportation Research Board’s Hydrology, Hydraulics, and Water Quality committee. Dr. Barber has
also completed projects for WSDOT, including a study along with Drs. Hotchkiss and Papanicolaou
(leader) on step-pool morphology within culverts.
Objectives
The objective of this project is to develop a manual to provide guidance for the design of bridges
and culverts for fish passage .
Benefit
This project will produce a design manual that will be used and referenced in all states. In
particular, developing a manual with guidelines should greatly streamline the design process and decrease
the delays currently experienced by State departments of transportation on projects impacting fish, which
has been identified as a desirable outcome by WSDOT. Because the report will be written in Washington
State, it will take full advantage of the above-referenced publications and ongoing research in the region.
In short, the State’s leadership role will continue by being referenced and cited in this new FHWA
Hydraulic Engineering Circular publication.
Estimated Budget
The project is estimated to take 2 years and require a total of $150,000. Budgeted items include
collaboration with a fisheries biologist(s) (to be identified), several field trips to sites in the State and other
regions in the U.S. to document good design practice, and limited experimental work at Albrook
Hydraulics Laboratory to check on proposed inlet configurations or similar issues. The budget will also
include consultations with appropriate Federal and State agencies, including WSDOT and WDFW and
other institutions across the U.S.