Contact: Andrea Takash, 206-766-6447
August 24, 2004
The public information meeting for the Howard Hanson Dam Additional Water Supply Project, fish habitat restoration, is scheduled for September 8 at the Federal Center South building in Seattle from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Representatives from the Corps of Engineers' project team will discuss the status of the project, future construction plans and answer questions.
The meeting will focus on large woody debris placement in the Zone 1 restoration area on the Green River, which is immediately downstream from the Tacoma Public Utilities Diversion Dam.
Under the biological opinions, issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Corps is required to transport half of all large woody debris meeting specific size criteria that is collected in the reservoir above Howard Hanson Dam and release it at downstream locations on an annual basis.
The Corps constructed two engineered log jams and initiated annual gravel nourishment in August 2003. In August 2004, the Corps added an additional 7,000 tons of Chinook spawning sized gravels, placed more racking wood material on the upstream log jam, and placed three pieces of large woody debris on the upstream gravel berm.
This has proven to be a successful fish habitat restoration project. In October 2003, Corps biologists observed Chinook, pink, sockeye, and coho salmon using the newly created habitat for spawning. They were concentrated around the log jams. These redds were surveyed as part of the comprehensive biological monitoring program.
In addition, 30 steelhead redds were surveyed this spring. Spring monitoring surveys indicated that large numbers of fry were using the log jams as rearing and protection habitat.
The meeting is scheduled to take place in the Galaxy Room at Federal Center South, 4735 East Marginal Way South; Seattle, WA 98134.
For online information, visit the project's Website here.
If you have any questions about the meeting, please contact Andrea Takash, public affairs specialist, at 206-766-6447.
Directions:
From the north:
Take I-5 south to James Street; turn right on Columbia and follow road down to the viaduct/Hwy. 99 south; street turns into E. Marginal Way S.; Federal Center South will be on the right.
From the south:
Take I-5 north to exit #162 (on left), Corson/Michigan St.; go to Michigan and turn right and follow to E. Marginal Way S./Hwy. 99; turn right and follow several blocks; Federal Center South will be on the left.
Visitor parking is available on the north end of the building and across East Marginal Way.
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