Commissioners question fish‑passage culvert replacements after $1.7 million engineer estimate

Cowlitz County officials reported an engineering estimate of about $1,700,000 for a fish‑passage culvert replacement on Garlock Road, prompting commissioners to press state agencies for clearer evidence that replacement designs match biological results.

At the meeting, the presiding official said the engineer’s estimate for the Garlock Road culvert project is roughly $1.7 million and that similar projects typically fall in that neighborhood when bids arrive. Several commissioners questioned whether the projected costs — and higher‑end designs sometimes required for fish passage — deliver measurable benefits where streams show little or no anadromous fish use.

Commissioners and residents urged county staff to ask Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Ecology for the underlying data that justify the designs and to confirm whether fish runs occur on a creek before spending large sums on engineering and construction. One resident and participant with fisheries knowledge explained that round culverts can concentrate flow and increase velocity, which at times enables fish to pass through narrow crossing features, and that biological and hydraulic context matters when selecting replacement types.

County officials said engineering is underway for a set of culverts this year and that construction on six culverts is planned for next year, including two on the resident’s stream and four on the Delameter side. Commissioners asked staff to follow up with the responsible agencies to ensure project decisions are supported by evidence of fish presence and post‑project fish use.

The board did not vote to authorize construction at this meeting; staff presented the engineer’s estimate and commissioners discussed next steps for additional technical review.