2009 AGC Build Washington Award Winner

WPC is proud to announce that the Sha Dadx Habitat Restoration project was selected as a winner in the Environmental category of the 2009 AGC Build Washington Awards. This $6 million habitat restoration project adjoins the Puyallup River and was managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Funding for the project came from the Superfund Cleanup settlement funds administered by the NOAA Restoration Center in Seattle.

This project improved habitats for juvenile salmon by increasing areas for rearing and foraging as well as by enhancing conditions for important prey resources such as resident fish and terrestrial insects. Revegetation of the area with native plants provides wildlife habitat for insects, small mammals, migratory waterfowl and resident birds. The habitat improvements resulting from the project has beneficial effects not only to the Puget Sound salmon stocks in particular, but also to other Puget Sound anadromous fish stocks and resident fish.

Significant Project Features

Dewatering: Pumped an average of 5 million gallons of water daily (high output capacity of 6,000 gallons per minute). Purpose was to lower water table for restoration of reclaimed river bed and construction of ring levee.

Tunneling for Fish Passage: 10’ diameter by 40’ long Fish Passage Tunnel drilled though the existing levee. Tunnel construction required steel cofferdam system at levee and river.

Habitat Restoration: Moved over 100,000 cubic yards of soil. Trees with root wads were placed in river channel creating additional habitat. Existing trees, wetlands both inside and outside of ring levee, and surrounding areas were protected and maintained to jumpstart restoration of the new habitat.

Puyallup River Flood Event When "Best in Class" construction matters.

On January 8th the Puyallup River crested at 29.55 feet, up from 13 feet 48 hours prior. Much of the surrounding areas had to be evacuated by residents & businesses. Measures taken by WPC, Consultants, and Subcontractors kept the water level on site from rising higher than 12 feet. These measures included plugging the incomplete box culvert and ensuring the site had adequate drainage and kept the project site from sustaining heavy flood damage.

More information on this and other AGC Build Washington Award winners are available in the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce