Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities Research & Technology Transfer Juvenile Fish Passage Through Culverts in Alaska: A Field Study Prepared by: Douglas L. Kane, Charles E. Belke, and Robert E. Gieck Water & Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775 Robert F. McLean Habitat Division, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Date June 2000 Prepared for: Alaska Department of Transportation Statewide Research Office 3132 Channel Drive Juneau, AK 99801-7898 Publication Number FHWA-AK-RD-00-03 Form approved OMB No. REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestion for reducing this burden to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-1833), Washington, DC 20503 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (LEAVE BLANK) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED FHWA-AK-RD-00-03 June 2000 Final July 1997 – June 2000 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Juvenile Fish Passage Through Culverts in Alaska: A Field Study 6. AUTHOR(S) Douglas L. Kane, Charles E. Behlke, Robert E. Gieck, Robert F. McLean 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT Water & Environmental Research Center, NUMBER University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775 INE/WERC 00.05 Habitat Division, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, AK 9970 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER State of Alaska, Alaska Dept. of Transportation and Public Facilities Research and Technology Transfer FHWA-AK-RD-00-03 2301 Peger Rd Fairbanks, AK 99709-5399 11. SUPPLENMENTARY NOTES Performed in cooperation with State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Research and Technology Transfer and Federal Highway Administration. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE No restrictions 13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words) In the past, culvert designs for fish passage generally has been based on the weakest-swimming adult fish in a river system. It has also been recognized for some time that juvenile fish are very active throughout the year, moving upstream and downstream in response to a number of environmental factors. The objective of this study was to examine the behavior of juveniles when attempting to ascend a culvert. It was hypothesized that vertical obstacles or high velocity of opposing flow may prevent juvenile fish from moving upstream. Four culverts were selected for intensive study regarding juvenile fish passage: Beaver and Soldotna Creeks on Kenai Peninsula and No-name and Pass Creek Tributary on Prince of Wales Island. In general, observations of fish attempting to move upstream through the culvert revealed that they swam very close to the culvert wall, and in the case of high velocities they swam near the surface along the sidewall where velocities are reduced. 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 14- KEYWORDS : 67 CULVERTS, FISH, SALMON, FIELD STUDY, IMPACT, ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, MOBILITY 16. PRICE CODE N/A 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT REPORT OF THIS PAGE OF ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified N/A NSN 7540-01-280-5500 STANDARD FORM 298 (Rev. 2-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 298-102 i Juvenile Fish Passage Through Culverts in Alaska: A Field Study by Douglas L. Kane Charles E. Behlke Robert E. Gieck Robert F. McLean June 2000 INSTITUTE OF NORTHERN ENGINEERING FINAL REPORT Report No. INE/WERC 00.05 UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS FAIRBANKS, ALASKA 99775-5910 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ ii LIST OF TABLES......................................................................................................................... iv DISCLAIMER .................................................................................................................................v ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGMENT................................................................................................................ ix INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................1 OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................................................2 PROCEDURE..................................................................................................................................3 STUDY SITES.................................................................................................................................8 Selection...............................................................................................................................8 Beaver Creek........................................................................................................................8 No-name Creek....................................................................................................................9 Soldotna Creek...................................................................................................................12 Pass Creek Tributary..........................................................................................................12 PAST STUDIES ............................................................................................................................14 Fish Behavior.....................................................................................................................14 Juvenile Movement............................................................................................................15 RESULTS ......................................................................................................................................16 Beaver Creek......................................................................................................................16 No-name Creek..................................................................................................................26 Soldatna Creek...................................................................................................................29 Pass Creek Tributary..........................................................................................................39 SUMMARY...................................................................................................................................47 RESEARCH NEEDS.....................................................................................................................49 REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................54 i LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Oxygen saturation levels for a range of temperatures for water with and without dye......................................................................................................6 Figure 2. Comparison of two Coho, one stained (left) and one unstained (right) ........................7 Figure 3. Watershed map of Beaver Creek on Kenai Peninsula, showing culvert studied on Kenai Spur Road. ......................................................................................10 Figure 4. Watershed map of No-Name Creek on Prince of Wales Island, showing culvert studied on Klawock-Hollis Road................................................................................11 Figure 5. Watershed map of Soldotna Creek on Kenai Peninsula showing culvert studied on Sterling Highway.......................................................................................13 Figure 6. Watershed map of Pass Creek on Prince of Wales Island showing culvert site on Pass Creek Tributary at mile 14.4 Polk Inlet Road .........................................14 Figure 7. Water surface and culvert invert profiles for Beaver Creek August 1, 1997 ..............17 Figure 8. Beaver Creek (July 31 – August 1, 1997) – fork length versus total length for stained and recaptured fish....................................................................................19 Figure 9. Beaver Creek (July 31 – August 1 1997) – fork length versus depth for stained and recaptured juvenile fish......................................................................19 Figure 10. Cross-section of the velocity at 10 ft. (3 m) into Beaver Creek culvert from the upstream outlet (looking downstream).........................................................23 Figure 11. Velocity profiles along centerline of culvert and also near edges of cross-section shown in Figure 10 above (REW – right edge of water, LEW – left edge of water) ...........................................................................................23 Figure