Morrison Gulch Migration Barrier Removal Project
Completed in 2001, the Morrison Gulch Project was ranked as the highest priority project in Humboldt County under the 5C Migration Barrier Inventory (Taylor et. al., 2000). The culvert shown below served as a complete barrier to all life stages of salmonids. Although the project restored access to less than 1 mile of habitat, less than one year after project completion, over 200 redds were found above the new culvert. Morrison Gulch has a high level of fish activity-juvenile and adult coho, steelhead, and cutthroat and is an important spawning tributary to Jacoby Creek.

Small Moves Seem to be
Getting Salmon Somewhere
By John Driscoll The Times-Standard

JACOBY CREEK -- Just why dozens of coho salmon have returned to tiny Morrison Gulch in the two years following its reconnection to Jacoby Creek nobody really knows, but the success may bode well for other little creeks in the area.
It could be they returned this year because a group of dedicated fish lovers -- sick of seeing fish hammer themselves against the gulch's bad old culvert -- netted them and dropped them upstream three years ago. Their offspring are just now returning with this winter's rains, through a much-improved pipe.
But that doesn't wash, because they returned last year, too. While most people are taught to believe salmon return to the exact reach of the exact stream they were hatched in, truthfully they -- especially coho -- are notorious strays. They definitely took the Morrison Gulch opportunity.

Morrison Gulch, above, prior to project implementation: many unsuccessful jump attempts were documented at the culvert site. No successful attempts were seen. Right, post project spawners above the project site!
Photos courtesy of Michael Love
Morrison Gulch post-project, above. A corrugated metal pipe replaced an undersized 5 foot diameter culvert at Morrison Gulch and Quarry Road.
Project Contractor:
Matt Smith,
Environmental Resources Services
Fish Habitat and Watershed Restoration

With construction and site landscaping assistance from the Redwood Community Action Agency

Project Partners:
Mike Love, Hydrologist, Mike Love and Associates
Ross Taylor, Fisheries Biologist
Thomas Dunklin,
Dr. Margaret Lang, Humboldt State University
Humboldt County Dept. of Public Works
NOAA Fisheries