It’s oh-fish-ial! Construction is current-ly underway along State Route 531 in Marysville, but the work isn’t just focused on development. It will help fish populations too, building a fish-passable culvert beneath 152nd Street NE.
The Edgecomb Creek relocation and 152nd Street culvert projects will open up development options for the Cascade Industrial Center and reroute Edgecomb Creek. Moving the creek will mean restoring it to a more natural state, improving passage for migratory fish like steelhead trout, cutthroat trout, chum salmon and coho salmon.
The Work Being Done
By realigning Edgecomb Creek, two culverts that were once barriers to fish passage are being replaced, moving the creek so it no longer crosses under SR 531. Adding a new culvert allows the creek to flow more naturally, giving migratory fish access to another two miles of habitat.
Helping Migratory Fish
Salmon and other migrating fish need access to freshwater habitats for spawning, getting there after a journey through oceans and rivers spanning thousands of miles. Barriers like dams and culverts have contributed to the decline in fish populations.
Fish Passage Improvements in Washington State
The effort to improve fish passage is not only underway in Marysville, it’s also happening across Washington State, with plans to replace close to 1,000 culverts to improve fish passage under state roads. The Washington State Department of Transportation has been removing fish barriers caused by culverts under state highways since 1991. Since that time, WSDOT has completed 364 fish passage projects statewide, opening up 1,215 miles of habitat stream.
Click on the interactive map below to see where fish passage projects stand across the state, and which ones have been completed.
Focusing on Marysville, you can see one of the SR 531 project sites marked in orange, meaning there is a partial blockage. Slightly to the right, a location marked in green means the barrier has been corrected. To the right of that marker, a red dot means fish passage there is totally blocked.
Economic Development: What this project means for local jobs
Along with restoring natural fish habitat, relocating Edgecomb Creek will bring more development opportunity to the Cascade Industrial Center in Marysville and Arlington. Moving the creek parallel to the BNSF railroad spur will improve business access to resources. As part of its development permit, NorthPoint Development will relocate Edgecomb Creek, with plans to construct several industrial buildings at the Cascade Industrial Center over the next 10 years. City officials expect to add 20,000 more family-wage jobs in the industrial center over the next decade, helping residents work close to home and boosting the local economy.
Next Steps
During critical construction phases, traffic will be rerouted near the Edgecomb Creek project site. Road closures of 152nd Street Northeast are currently underway through Aug. 27. Detours are in place and Strawberry Fields remains open and accessible via 67th Avenue Northeast. During construction, 152nd Street will be widened and the culvert will be wide enough for future plans. The creek relocation is expected to be completed near the end of the September.