The culverts opened a passage to upstream habitat on three creeks that was effectively blocked by the old pipes. Buck, Hawley and Esmond creeks could start seeing runs of coho and chinook salmon and steelhead trout as a result of the fixes. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

The $1.5 million project took place over the summer and was funded with a federal stimulus grant. Road repairs also were done as part of the project.

The work took place on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Eugene District. The creeks all feed into the Siuslaw River drainage. The new culverts replaced old pipes that were failing or that blocked fish passage because of their small size or erosion around the outlets.

Jennifer O’Leary, a BLM spokeswoman, said the new culverts are specially designed to aid fish. Not only are they larger in diameter, they also are oblong in shape to create a wider, more natural passage.

Also, rocks and sediment are placed in the culvert to simulate the natural creek and slow the water so it flows at the same speed as the rest of the creek.

“What this does is allow for more natural rates of flow while restoring the natural width of the stream channel,” she said. “It’s all about restoring more natural conditions out there in the watershed.”

Many older culverts aren’t big enough for the stream volume, causing water to speed up and jet through the pipe, clearing out any natural material and making it hard for fish to navigate upstream. And because of erosion on the downstream side where water exits, many older pipes now sit well above the stream level, blocking young fish from migrating downstream.

With the new culverts in place, fish will have an easier time. That means areas that had been off limits before will now be reachable.

“The habitat above these (new) culverts is healthy and intact,” said Leo Poole, fisheries biologist for the BLM’s Siuslaw Resource Area. “All we needed to do was open up the passage for fish and other aquatic species to get there.”

Work on the creeks only can be done during a summer window from July 1 to Sept. 15. To get all the culverts replaced in that relatively brief opening, the BLM worked with an agency of the Federal Highway Administration known as the Western Federal Lands Highway Division.

That agency contracted with area engineering and construction firms to design and build the culverts. The number of jobs created by the project wasn’t available this week, but O’Leary said it was at least a dozen and possibly more.

The BLM has done a number of other projects aimed at improving fish habitat in the area. Previous work added boulders and gravel to portions of the Siuslaw River, creating spawning beds, lowering water temperature and providing refuges where fish can rest.

BY GREG BOLT

The Register-Guard

NAVAJO DAM, N.M.

A trio of wading fly fishermen worked the Texas Hole in search of rainbows and browns earlier this fall as the sound of trickling water mixed with motorized purring.

Front-loading tractors hummed and beeped in the background, digging a large hole on the southern edge of the San Juan River.

Upgrades are under way at the world-renowned San Juan tailwater fishery, improvements to the trout habitat that officials hope will keep the anglers coming – and keep them happy.

Catch-and-release trout fishing on the 4-mile stretch of river downstream of Navajo Dam lures anglers from across the globe and pumps an estimated $20 million to $30 million into the local economy each year, according to a 2008 report by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

Out-of-state visitors include Chris Arnold of Durango, who reported that his success on the San Juan has been waning. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the industry leader in science based, man made and artificial fish habitat, proven to provide all fish with cover they prefer to prosper.

“Three years ago, it was super good, and it’s gotten more difficult over the last three years. When I started out, I was catching 40 to 50 fish a day sometimes,” he said as he walked away from Texas Hole on a crisp, postrain afternoon. “I caught less than 20 today – (about) 12-15. And I had to walk from here down a mile to do it.”

According to the Department of Game and Fish, which maintains the fishery and surveys anglers, the rate of satisfaction remains high.

But operating such a popular fishing destination comes with its share of scrutiny, and critics make their concerns known.

“There’s a group out there that feels the fishing has declined,” said Mike Sloane, the department’s chief of fisheries. “We’re not seeing it in our numbers, but we’re hearing it.”

In an effort to address known issues and to further enhance fishing opportunities, crews are tackling $300,000 worth of improvements. That includes creating a sediment retention pond at the mouth of the Rex Smith wash to slow the flow of sludge that rushes off a nearby mesa and directly into the river.

Marc Wethington, the NMDGF’s fisheries biologist for the San Juan, said sediment has been a recurring problem since 1999. That’s when a dirt berm was constructed next to the Texas Hole parking lot to protect the parking and bathroom facilities from flooding. But the unintentional result was that the berm helped funnel muddy stormwater directly into the river.

“That sediment covers up the bottom; it smothers the aquatic life on the bottom,” Wethington said.

Crews also will work within “The Braids,” a section of river located approximately a mile below the dam. They will dig holes in the river’s sandstone floor to create pools for trout habitat and use dirt to consolidate some of the islands in an effort to create fewer, but deeper, channels.

“It’s about manipulating the flow to where it benefits the fishery and trout habitat,” Wethington said.

Sloane said the work also will head off problems that may arise if Navajo Dam gets tapped for more water development in the future. The changes under way now would make the fishery more viable in the event of declining flows, he said.

Estimated completion date for the project is Jan. 8.

“I think we’re going to have a good end product,” Wethington said. “I think the bulk of the anglers are going to be happy.”

According to his survey results, most of them already are. Wethington said 98 to 99 percent of the anglers he questioned last year “were either satisfied, very satisfied or greatly satisfied.”

Wethington said catch rates in the “Special Trout Waters” below Navajo Dam have stayed relatively steady since the mid-1980s, usually in the realm of 1.1 fish hooked per hour. Usage also remains high. Although the last decade saw some dips – Wethington said there were lulls after Sept. 11 and again as the recent recession took hold – the fishery supports approximately 200,000 angler hours annually.

Out-of-staters account for the bulk of the fishing.

Bill Gedeon of Aurora visited earlier this fall with a large group of friends from Colorado. It’s an annual tradition that he’s been part of for about six years, though some members of the group have been coming far longer.

Gedeon said he’d had limited success in 2011, netting far fewer fish than he had in past years.

“We’re catching fish, and we’re seeing fish – there’s a lot of fish – but it just doesn’t seem to be as much as it used to be,” said Gedeon, who still classifies himself as a bit of a beginner. “I heard stories about how this was supposed to be the absolute best fishing place in the country, but maybe I’m just expecting too much, you know?

“I don’t know – maybe some of the construction they’re planning will be an improvement.”

Duane Vandeventer of the Denver area has been fly fishing on the San Juan for more than a decade. He, too, noted that his catch rate had dipped to about one fish per day. But Vandeventer said his trip to New Mexico is as much about companionship as the fish, and he wasn’t overly troubled by his meager haul.

“One of our friends caught 10 this morning, so part of it is probably the fisherman,” he said with a laugh.EDDIE MOORE/Albuquerque JournalBY JESSICA DYER
Albuquerque Journal