Work Underway on Little Tonsina Bridge
Photo by Allison Sayer
Footers for bridge being built to replace culverts on Little Tonsina River.
Allison Sayer - CRR Staff
On September 23, the Copper River Watershed Project (CRWP) and the Alaska Department of Transportation invited funding partners and the public to tour the site of the anticipated bridge on the Little Tonsina River. The bridge will replace culverts located just barely upstream from the confluence with the main branch of the Tonsina River.
This multimillion dollar project is the result of years of work, partnership building, and fundraising efforts to improve fish access to 71 miles of habitat upstream from the site.
“These culverts have the dubious distinction of being the worst culverts blocking the best habitat in Alaska. ”
A small crew, supervised by DOT engineer Jake Mills, stayed busy in the rain. The crew was working on forms for concrete footers that will hold a bridge over the river. The components of the bridge itself are being manufactured in Anchorage. Mills hopes the main part of the bridge will be partially installed early next month.
According to Mills, the bridge curbs and railings will be installed in early 2023, at which time the culverts currently passing beneath the spur road off the Richardson Highway will be removed. These culverts have the dubious distinction of being the worst culverts blocking the best habitat in Alaska.
Little Tonsina River. Photo by Allison Sayer
Mills, who has worked on over a dozen similar bridge projects throughout Alaska, confirmed that the current culverts are a “bad situation.” He added he has personally observed adult king and sockeye salmon in the area.
Just upstream of the culverts, a series of large upside down beetle-killed trees formed “root wad habitat.” This was achieved by temporarily diverting water from one side of the riverbank in order to dig in and place the trees.
The trees form what CRWP executive director Lisa Docken described as a “boundary layer.” This is an area of low flow where young fish can congregate.
“This project is the first among recipients of federal Bipartisan Infrastructure funding dedicated to fish passage to be implemented in the nation. ”
Docken described some of the behind the scenes partnerships that helped to secure the trees used in the project. Chugach Alaska Corporation (CAC) granted access to the trees on their land, but coordination with the Alyeska Pipeline to access the area through their gate was necessary. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department provided the expertise in designing the feature.
Root wad feature on Little Tonsina River. Photo by Allison Sayer
Docken noted CAC willingly ceded land towards the project, and also donated the financial compensation it received from the land cession to the project as a gesture of goodwill.
According to the Copper River Watershed Project website, partners include: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Athna Inc, Chugach Alaska Corporation, Eyak Corporation, Native Village of Kluti-kaah, Alyeska Pipeline Service Co, and Native Village of Eyak.
This project is the first among recipients of federal Bipartisan Infrastructure funding dedicated to fish passage to be implemented in the nation.
