Little Brook Creek
Little Brook Creek is a small creek located in the Northeast Seattle. A tributary to Thornton Creek, it runs mostly through the backyards of a residential neighborhood, and is home to Coho and Chinook salmon, as well as Rainbow and Cutthroat trout.
In 1995, neighbors living along the creek formed the Friends of Little Brook, and began working to restore the waterway. One of the neighbors, a biologist, observed migrating Chinook salmon backed up by the culvert in Little Brook Creek. The culvert was a tight 2 feet in diameter and an extensive 30 feet in length. Even more troublesome, the culvert was perched 12 inches above the water. Located at the confluence of Little Brook and Thornton creeks, the constrictive culvert created a full blockage to the entire creek. Fish passage was impossible.
Before – Pictured here is the old 2-foot culvert that blocked fish passage
After – The entryway of the new and improved culvert which is now approximately 6 feet wide and 7 feet tall.
After – The new culvert has a more natural bottom and is significantly larger
Friends of Little Brook partnered with Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group to explore, outline and implement a solution. Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group worked to design and install an amply sized box culvert. The interior features a natural stream bottom, complete with a boulder cascade, which acts to dissipate energy, allowing fish to travel unfettered through the stream.
In addition, in-stream habitat features were installed both upstream and downstream of the new box culvert. Old railroad ties, which were leaching toxic chemicals into the creek, were removed and replaced with natural rock. Today, Little Brook Creek once again runs free, its confluence with Thornton Creek at last restored.
Partnerships
This project was a true community collaboration. Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group was honored to work with Friends of Little Brook Creek, Thornton Creek Alliance, King Conservation District, Seattle Public Utilities, a number of dedicated landowners, the Seattle Housing Authority and Natural Systems Design.