Daylighting Bellingham Public Works Natural Resources has completed a major habitat restoration project on Padden PADDEN CREEK Creek to help restore healthy water quality and habitat to our community for people, salmon, and wildlife. Why daylight Padden Creek Padden Creek? Daylighting Project Map Daylighting Padden Creek opens up over a mile of upstream habitat for a variety No longer a fi sh passage barrier or a detriment of salmon and trout species including A new road bridge over the creek on to stream habitat , the tunnel now serves as a Chinook, chum, and coho. The project Old Fairhaven Parkway and a fi sh- safeguard for stormwater overfl ows beyond the friendly culvert under 22nd Street allow 100-year storm level. also reduces fl ooding risks to the nearby upstream fi sh migration while reducing residential community. A tunnel built in the 1890s constricted high fl ooding risks to 159 nearby residences. fl ows during salmon migration season in the fall and winter, creating a barrier for fi sh passage. In addition, Padden Creek does not meet Clean Water Act standards for dissolved Blockages at each end of oxygen or temperature, putting a strain OOldld FFairhavenairhaven ParkwayParkway the old tunnel ensure that on salmon, which need clean, cold, Padden Creek’s base fl ow oxygenated water to survive. The habitat remains in it’s new channel. restoration components of this project have been carefully designed and constructed Gravel beds and large woody to help improve the water quality issues in 18th Street debris in the restored stream channel help oxygenate the stream Padden Creek. A new pedestrian bridge at the Interurban Rotary Trailhead via natural turbulence and provide parking lot creates salmon- much-needed habitat for salmon Visit cob.org and search “Padden Creek” friendly viewing access. during multiple life stages. to learn more. Giving the creek room to fl ow along it’s natural route helps 20th Street alleviate fl ooding risks. KEY New creek channel Existing creek channel 1890s tunnel Habitat restoration by Bellingham Public Works. Restoration funded by the City of Bellingham’s storm and surface water fund with support from the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Washington State Department of Transportation..