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Fish Passage

Project Overview

A historic splash dam that was active during the early 1900s was blocking a fish passage in southwest Washington State. We were hired to reestablish the fish passage to release important sediments that had been trapped for over a century. We were also tasked with breaking up a large boulder blocking the creek below the dam.

river passage blasting
river passage blasting crew
river passage blasting crew

Details

  • Owner: Fish Enhancement Group / Weyerhaeuser Land
  • Project Type:
  • Location: Southwest Washington State
  • Completion Date: December 2023

Challenges

Our biggest challenge with this job was access. Everything had to be packed in with pack boards. There was a very steep incline to get down to the project. All holes were drilled with gas-powered hand drills. Our mechanics built custom 2 9/16″ drill bits to fit the job. Designing the blast was also a challenge due to limited data on blasting old-growth timber. We performed a test blast to ensure a successful blast design.

Outcome

Blasting went as planned. In addition to the barrier removal, the a fish enhancement group placed approximately 850 pieces of wood into the stream channel to help with sorting and storing the sediments that are critical to the spawning and rearing of salmonids and lamprey.

Work With Us

We currently operate throughout the Western United States. We perform all applications of drilling and blasting including large-scale commercial quarries, heavy construction, road and highway construction, residential and commercial development, and utility and trenchline work.

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