Silver Creek/State Road Fish Passage Project

The Silver Creek road crossing at State Road, located under a quarter mile upstream from the confluence of Silver Creek and the Pine River, blocks all fish passage from the Pine into Silver Creek, a cold-water tributary and nursery stream for rainbow, brown, and brook trout. Because the site poses no transportation problems, the replacement of the structure is a low priority for the local road commission, particularly in the present economic times. The primary objective of this project was to establish fish passage upstream into Silver Creek from the Pine River by removing a perched culvert and installing a bottomless arch structure. Providing fish passage at the site has been a priority for both the USFS and Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division personnel. This project is a great example of how local watershed partnership models can function to come to consensus on appropriate BMPs, obtain funding for implementation, and carry out large scale restoration projects.
Best Management Practices:
• Removal of perched culvert
• Installation precast concrete arch
• road and ditch runoff control
• Pavement and curbing
• Revegetation
• Stream channel enhancement
• streambank stabilization and scour protection

Project Benefits:
• Enhanced unrestricted passage for fish and other aquatic organisms (over 5 miles)
• Improved aesthetics
• Reduced flooding potential and maintenance costs
•Improved nutrient and sediment transport

Partners involved:
Conservation Resource Alliance, Lake County Road Commission, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division, USDA Forest Service, National Forest Foundation, Elmer’s Crane and Dozer, Inc., Pine River Watershed Restoration Committee, USDA-NRCS, Wade Trim, Inc.