The Squalicum Creek at West Street Fish Passage Improvement Project is part of a coordinated, strategic approach to fish barrier removal in Bellingham, and one of many projects completed or in the works in the Squalicum Creek watershed. This project will replace two partial fish passage barriers in the main channel of Squalicum Creek adjacent to Squalicum Creek Park, near the intersection of Squalicum Way and West Street. Removing these barriers will make the crossings 100% passable for fish, including Chinook, coho, pink and chum salmon, steelhead and sea-run cutthroat trout, and resident fish species. These barriers are ranked as high priority for improvement in the City’s Fish Barrier Prioritization.
Project status – 2026
The contract for 30% design was awarded to Osborn Consulting on March 18, 2025 and the 30% design is anticipated to be complete by July 2026. We have completed the alternative analysis and selected a preferred alternative.
There were three alternatives evaluated:
- Alternative 1 upgrades the culverts and leaves the channel as-is
- Alternative 1b upgrades the culverts and the channel between them
- No-action alternative
Alternative 1b was selected as the preferred alternative and is in the design process currently. Advancing design beyond 30% will depend on available funding and landowner permissions.
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More project information
This project continues the City’s decades-long commitment to improving fish passage, recently formalized in a voluntary Memorandum of Agreement with Lummi Nation, Nooksack Indian Tribe, and Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. The two partial fish barriers on Squalicum Creek near West Street are high priorities for improvement based on the City’s Fish Barrier Implementation Plan. Improving fish passage helps increase survival of salmon and trout in the Squalicum Creek watershed by allowing fish to access to upstream quality habitat for laying eggs (spawning) and rearing. This project also helps fulfill the stream restoration component of the Squalicum Creek Park Master Plan.
This project benefits anadromous Chinook, coho, and chum salmon, steelhead and sea-run cutthroat trout, and resident fish species. Both Chinook and steelhead are currently listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
The project builds upon previous fish passage improvements that were completed at James Street and I-5 and provides fish access to restored upstream habitat completed as part of the Squalicum Creek Re-route restoration projects.
Existing Culverts
This project improves partial fish barriers at two crossings near West Street at the entrance to Squalicum Creek Park. The upstream culvert goes diagonally under both West Street and then Squalicum Way, and the downstream culvert goes under Squalicum Way just downstream of the confluence of the Willow Spring tributary. Both culverts will be replaced with 100% fish-passable structures.
A NOAA grant was awarded to the Nooksack Indian Tribe for $300,000 to be used for 30% design for two high-priority fish passage solutions on Squalicum Creek. The City of Bellingham was able to identify an additional $90,000 to meet the contract requirements for the 30% design.
In March 2025, 30% Design was awarded to Osborn Consulting for $385,067.63.
Contact
General project questions: AskPW@cob.org
