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Cowlitz County seeks to buy steel plate arch culvert to meet fish‑window timeline on Garlock Road
Summary
Public Works will put a materials procurement on next week's agenda to buy a large plate‑arch culvert for Garlock Road so delivery meets the July fish‑window. The project is funded 85% by the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board with a 15% county match; staff estimated the arch at about $190,000.
Cowlitz County Public Works told commissioners it will advertise a bid to purchase a steel plate arch culvert for the Garlock Road replacement so the county can receive material in time to meet Washington fish‑window restrictions.
County Engineer Susan Eugeneus said a procurement timeline requires ordering material this month to have delivery by about July 30 and to allow the construction contract to begin on June 30. "If we don't order the material in the next month and a half, we will not make the fish window because you can only work in the stream on this project from July 16 through September 30," Eugeneus said.
Eugeneus said the project is funded primarily by the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board and requires a 15% county match. "So 85% is paid by them," she said, noting procurement of the material in advance is eligible under that funding. Staff estimated the arch at about $190,000 (as transcribed).
The county plans to have the supplier deliver the arch directly to the site and coordinate installation guidance and certified on‑site personnel from the manufacturer. Eugeneus described the proposed structure as a steel plate arch with open bottom on foundations and a 75‑year expected service life; water will flow on concrete stem walls most of the year and only flow over the metal in high water events. She added that the opening will be large enough that it may be treated as a bridge in some design elements.
Eugeneus reviewed fish considerations cited from Fish and Wildlife resources: Chinook is presumed in the drainage and coho and steelhead have documented spawning in the creek, which informed the project's timing and design. She said Fish and Wildlife limitations can require full replacement rather than partial repairs in locations determined to be fish barriers.
Staff said the county has experience leveraging fish barrier funds and is prioritizing culverts that qualify for the program. Commissioners asked whether the procured arch could be used elsewhere if funding were withdrawn; Eugeneus said it could be reallocated if Fish and Wildlife accepted a different site, but procurement was being pursued because funding is already dedicated to Garlock Road.
The board did not take a formal vote in the transcript; staff will include the material procurement on the upcoming agenda for authorization to advertise and award.
