FOLLOWUP: Fauntleroy Creek flowing again

| Environment | Fauntleroy | Utilities | West Seattle news

(Video by Tom Trulin)
It’s a simple sight – water, flowing – and yet restoring that flow wasn’t simple at all. We’ve been updating you on work to unclog Fauntleroy Creek‘s 45th Avenue SW culvert, caught by creek stewards who called for city help after they saw “ponding” upstream, and now Seattle Public Utilities confirms its most-recent efforts last week succeeded. Crews removed “most of the blockage,” reports SPU, adding, “We are still monitoring the culvert and evaluating whether additional short-term work is needed to ensure the culvert’s operation.” We asked what they pulled out of the culvert to unclog it; SPU spokesperson Sabrina Register replied, “Debris – mud, leaves and branches, and possible slurry – created the blockage. SPU is looking into the debris’ contents and its origins.” The utility continues working on a long-term plan to replace the culvert, with construction expected to start in 2026. Fauntleroy Creek is one of the few remaining salmon-bearing creeks in Seattle; this year’s fry releases as part of the Salmon in the Schools program start toward the end of this month.

momof3boys April 17, 2023 (2:56 pm)

Great! Good news :-)

Dick Paynter April 22, 2023 (9:18 am)

I hyst checked with Joan Pickett, the owner of that oart if Fauntleroy Creek where we count adult coho on their way upstream to spawn. She said that the cleaning of the culvert uostream ffom her strech of the creek, had caused a mess downstream. It included a limb of a tree which was 8 ft long and 3-4 inches in diameter. Her head fish counter went up stream near the mess and saved 12 baby diwnstream migrants, just hatched babies, and releashed them inti the stream just above the Fauntleroy ferry dock. Why didnt the ckean up crew take into consideration that this is a very sensative time in tge repriduction cycle of salmon?! We counted 455 adult coho last fall. They lay thousands of eggs each year. Let’s let em reproduce normally!!!

Jim P. April 17, 2023 (3:40 pm)

2026? You weren’t kidding when you said “long term:. Wow.

Dick Paynter April 22, 2023 (9:40 am)

I Rxplored the culvert on Fauntleriy creek the day they ckeaned it out.,The lady that has us count aduot coho lives downstream from the culvert. Shexsaid ger part of the stream was a mess including an 8 ft limb that flowed diwnstream.,The supervisor of thise of us who count the mature salmon, Said he saved 12 downstream migrants, baby salmon, by netting them and re-entering them near the Fauntleroy Ferry where the creek entrers the Sound. We counted 455 adults swimming upstream last fall. They produce thousands of eggs. My wuestion is….why did they choose this sensative time if the reproduction cycle to ckean up the creek?

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