The Humboldt County Resource Conservation District is excited to announce that in the following days, Phase 1 of the Salt River Project is coming to a close.
During the second week of October, the three coffer dams on the Salt River were removed; allowing fresh and tidal waters to flow into the restored lower section of Salt River and the newly-created 300-acre tidal marsh area. The new tidal area will help maintain the width and depth of the Salt River channel and enhance rearing habitat and migration conditions for coho salmon, Chinook Salmon, steelhead trout, and coastal cutthroat trout.
Work on the first phase of the Salt River Ecosystem Restoration Project started in May, 2013. Now, just a little over five months later, slightly over two miles of setback berm has been built, two miles of the lower Salt River channel have been restored, and a 300-acre tidal marsh area constructed. As work on the first phase started to wrap up, work began on the next phase of the project; removing the vegetation that is choking the Salt River channel upstream of phase 1.
Congratulations and thanks to the many, many project partners and proponents. A special thanks goes to Anderson Dragline for completing the work on time and on budget; to Ducks Unlimited for construction management and oversight services; to SHN Engineering for construction inspection services; to GHD for environmental and permit compliance services; to all of the subcontractors; and to the landowners and residents along Port Kenyon Road and Riverside Road for their patience and tolerance during construction.
View photos here: Salt River coffer dam removal
salt river watershed 