Harris Creek Culvert Replacement Project

Project Overview: 

• Location: Southwestern Polk County
• Habitat Restored: 1.4 miles of cold-water stream habitat
• Structure Installed: 50-foot long by 16-foot wide steel bridge
• Target Species: Upper Willamette River winter steelhead, Coho salmon, cutthroat trout, Pacific lamprey, and freshwater mussels
• Primary Funding: NOAA, Manulife

Background: Why Harris Creek Matters

Harris Creek is a tributary entering the Luckiamute River approximately 45 miles upstream from its confluence with the Willamette River at Luckiamute State Natural Area. The Luckiamute River basin contains critical habitat for Upper Willamette River winter steelhead, Pacific lamprey and other native migratory fish. Tributaries like Harris Creek offer high-quality habitat, providing cool-water refuge during warm summer months and high-velocity refuge during turbulent winter flows.

The Problem: A Failing, Perched Culvert

For years, fish migrating into Harris Creek encountered a complete barrier at the stream's mouth. The crossing consisted of an undersized, 6-foot-diameter, 28-foot-long corrugated metal pipe perched eight inches above bedrock with no quality pool to provide a way for fish to gather energy to make the jump. The pipe also created extreme water velocities that blocked juvenile fish from swimming upstream.

Beyond blocking fish passage, the structure was rapidly deteriorating. The bottom of the pipe had rusted through, causing water to overtop the crossing during high-flow events and driving severe streambank erosion near an adjacent residence. Because this crossing—a former Polk County road transferred to private ownership—serves as the sole access route for local residents and emergency vehicles, the failing culvert posed a critical infrastructure risk.

The original 6-foot metal culvert was perched above bedrock, rusting at the bottom, and creating severe velocity barriers for migrating fish.

The Solution: A Modern Steel Bridge

The newly installed 50-foot steel bridge restores natural stream processes and provides safe passage for both fish and vehicles.

To permanently eliminate the barrier, the LWC coordinated the removal of the culvert and the installation of a 50-foot-long by 16-foot-wide steel bridge. Alternatives analysis and final passage designs were completed by Stuntzner Engineering & Forestry, LLC, and construction was done by Trask Design & Construction, LLC.

The new bridge almost doubles the available stream channel width from 6 feet to an average of 11.4 feet, allowing Harris Creek to flow naturally beneath the roadway. This design resolves localized flooding and erosion risks, secures reliable emergency access for landowners, and opens unhindered passage to 1.4 miles of upstream habitat for salmon, trout and lamprey.

Ecological Impact & Next Steps

Removing this barrier directly supports the recovery of ESA-listed Upper Willamette River winter steelhead, Coho salmon, cutthroat trout, Pacific lamprey, and freshwater mussels. Following construction, project activities will include ongoing eDNA monitoring, as well as native vegetation planting across the disturbed construction footprint to establish a healthy riparian buffer.

Partners and Funding

This project is one of 18 regional barrier removals funded under the Mid Valley River Connection (MVRC) regional award, "There and Back Again: A Salmonid's Tale to Restored Fish Passage in the Mid-Willamette," supported by federal NOAA grant funding. A generous private donation from Manulife also helped us complete this project when contractor and materials costs rose dramatically mid-way through the planning phase.

We also extend our sincere gratitude to landowner Cliff Barnhart, whose support made this project possible from the start.
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This project complements nearby restoration work on Plunkett Creek, where ODOT is installing a baffle and graded riffle in August 2026 to open an additional 0.9 miles of habitat in the sub-basin.