Tumwater to receive grant for construction of Percival Creek culvert

Tumwater is set to receive $257,550 from the Recreation and Conservation Office’s (RCO) Salmon Recovery Funding Board to fund the construction of a larger culvert on Sapp Road as it crosses Percival Creek.

But that's just a drop in the bucket compared to the entire project. 

Tumwater Public Works Committee endorsed to its city council on Thursday, May 9, a resolution allowing Tumwater to receive the grant and delegating Water Resources Director Dan Smith to make decisions relating to the project on behalf of the city.

The funds will be used to build a 19-foot four-sided culvert to replace the existing round culvert under Sapp Road. The crossing has been identified as a barrier to fish passage due to the size of the existing culvert.

The project also involves regrading around 135 feet of the stream and installing large wooden structures to replicate the natural features of streams. Sapp Road itself will also be expanded by adding sidewalks and bike lanes.

Environmental consultant Meridith Greer told the committee that the RCO grant does not require matching funds from the city.

City staff described the resolution as a formality as the city and RCO are expected to sign a project agreement before the city can receive the grant, according to the resolution.

The city had previously received $2.1 million from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to fund the project.

Greer mentioned that the city is currently working to secure the right-of-way for the project. The bidding for the project will start either late summer or early fall, while construction is expected to start summer of next year.

Tumwater applying for $3.6 million Ecology grant

The Deschutes River Watershed Restoration project covers 11 projects along the entire length of the river.

Greer added that the city is also seeking $3,693,000 in grants from the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). The grant will be sourced from Ecology’s Floodplains by Design program which funds watershed-based projects.

City staff aims to use the fund to study opportunities for the old brewery site, to plan the restoration of the wetland area along E Street, to construct a regional stormwater facility in Tumwater Valley, and to implement the restoration of the riparian buffer and wetland area along Tumwater Valley Golf Club.

The four projects are part of the first phase of the larger Deschutes River Watershed Recovery project expected to cost around $50 million. The project involves a ten-year plan to restore the watershed through 11 projects on the watershed's lower, middle, and upper portions.

Phase one focuses on planning and design work and requires $12.5 million.

Tumwater is working on the project with other partners such as Capitol Land Trust, Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team, South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, Squaxin Island Tribe, Thurston Conservation District, and Thurston Regional Planning Council.

Whether the project gets funded will depend on the agency’s priorities and if the state legislature agrees to allocate the budget. Greer said that they expect Ecology to publish a ranked list of its priority projects in August.