The existing Chambers Creek Bridge is structurally deficient and must be replaced. PSRC’s Bridge Pilot Program will fully fund the project’s design phase. Construction is scheduled for 2030.
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By Kirk Kirkland
The Puget Sound Regional Council’s (PSRC) Executive Board approved $7 million in new funding to advance Pierce County’s Chambers Creek Bridge Replacement project. The funding is part of PSRC’s new Bridge Funding Pilot program. The $7 million allocated to the Chambers Creek Bridge Replacement will fully fund the project’s design phase.
Located between University Place and Lakewood, Chambers Creek Bridge is a major connection for residents and emergency services. Replacing the structurally deficient bridge will enhance long-term reliability, and improve the salmon runs that have not been allowed through the fish ladders at parts of the year.
“I’m proud my colleagues on the Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board joined me in approving $7 million to replace the Chambers Creek Bridge,” said Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello. “This is funding is in addition to federal funds we secured for the larger Chambers Bay Estuary Restoration project thanks to Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland.
The PSRC funds will pay for early engineering and design on this project that’s been years in the making. It is a win for the salmon runs and for Tribal treaty rights. “Prioritizing infrastructure improvements like this is one way we are moving Pierce County forward together,” said Mello
“I’m DAM HAPPY” said Al Schmauder who has worked diligently over the last 25 years to open up the fish ladders and have the dam removed. Each year he organizes a work party of volunteers and helpers from the Puyallup Tribe to repair the fish ladder on the east side of the dam.
In the last two decades Schmauder has been successful in getting each County Executive to agree to remove the dam. Unfortunately the county engineers said the up stream bridge had to be removed first. This increased the total cost, plus the project had to compete with other County bridge projects which had a higher priority.
After years of maintaining the fish ladder, the gates are open for a year round migration which was limited in the fall when the Chinook salmon returned.
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This Bridge and Dam funding comes at a critical time as the State is required to remove culverts and fish blockages. Last fall for the first time in 25 years the fish ladder on the West side of the dam was opened. About 1254 adult 869 jacks came up stream. 612 Males, 233 Females and 661 Jacks made the upstream passage, according to Jason Smith at Department of Fish and Wildlife.
At the confluence of Chambers and Leach Creeks there was concern that the water was too low for the salmon to spawn. Then when the rain returned, people were concerned that the floods would destroy the salmons’ nests. Biologists from the Puyallup Tribe counted 88 salmon nests in the length of Chambers Creek.
Removing the dam will result in a higher number of salmon surviving. The present dam with two fish ladders attracts hungry seals and seabirds who hang out at the end of the ladders where they can feed on the young salmon as they tumble through the ladders and arrive stunned at the end of the ladder.
According to Nisqually Tribe fish experts, 95% of the young migrating salmon die before they reach Port Townsend. This is due to increased seal and bird populations that in earlier times were reduced by Orca Whale visits to Puget Sound.
It’s a balancing thing that is complicated by urban development along the shorelines.
Fortunately, Pierce County staff is doing their part by restoring the estuary, a required place for the smolts to hang around among eelgrass and adapt to the salt water environment. Further north, Tacoma Parks has plans to restore Titlow Beach and pond.
In addition to the dam and estuary restoration, the county is also leading the way with a program to remove 6ppd from the streams and creeks from as far away as Canyon Road and Spanaway Lake. The chemical is a tire dust that has to be filtered out with storm drains that cost over $2 Million to install
Thanks to Council members Robyn Denson and Jani Hitchen for funding studies to determine which drains need to be fixed first. With over a hundred drains to fix, what is needed is a master plan to fund installing new storm drains and improving filtering in the existing drains on high-traffic-count roads and parking lots.
Twenty five years of advocacy is quite a long time to wait. Fortunately Schmauder started his restoration plans when he was young. He raised his family in the Parkland Spanaway area and started the Clover Creek Council.
This is one of many fish ladders between Chambers Dam and Spanaway Lake. Many of the salmon have to swim underneath the McChord runways on their way to all the branches of Clover Creek.
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This organization of volunteers made it possible to preserve eight parcels of land as open space and build seven fish ladders from Spanaway Lake to Steilacoom Lake.
In 1994, the owner’s asking price for a 12 acre parcel was greater than the amount allowed by the County’s Conservation Futures fund. So Schmauder raised more money by selling shares of the property in the proposed Clover Creek Reserve.
Many of those shareholders are not around anymore to mow the grass and cut back the blackberries and Ivy. In 2024 Schmauder passed his non-profit Clover Creek Council on to the newly created Clover Creek Restoration Alliance. Now, the next generation can continue Schmauder’s vision and passion to protect and preserve the Clover Creek Watershed.
Look over the calendar for the Clover Creek Restoration Alliance for the dates of their next “party”
Project calandar
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