MEADOWDALE — Every fall, Snohomish County closes the narrow concrete tunnel under the train tracks at Meadowdale Beach Park.
The closure allows adult salmon to use the passageway undisturbed and enter Lund’s Gulch Creek. Juvenile fish can stay inland to mature, before venturing out to Puget Sound.
The seasonal move to boost fish survival also keeps a popular beach off-limits to humans for half the year. Even with the closures, sediment buildup on the creek has grown progressively worse, for reasons that remain unclear.
A meeting on Monday aims to get people thinking about a long-term fix, namely a heavy construction project to get people, fish and sediment traveling more freely under the tracks. It’s scheduled at Meadowdale High School from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
“This is probably the most serious conversation to date, after 25 years, to address this problem,” county parks director Tom Teigen said.
At Monday’s meeting, county staff expect to present three design alternatives.
The 6-foot-wide tunnel that’s used for beach access now was originally built by BNSF as a culvert for Lund’s Gulch Creek, according to the county’s website. A 1987 agreement between the railroad and the county’s parks department allowed for shared use. The culvert was modified with a boardwalk and steel grating to let people walk through.
County staff estimate that building a better passageway could run up to $7 million, Teigen said. Any fix will require buy-in from BNSF. The county has a $175,000 contract with Anchor QEA of Seattle for the work that’s under way to look at potential designs.
BNSF Railway tracks, which date from the late 19th century, limit access to many Puget Sound beaches from Everett to Seattle. The railroad actively enforces no trespassing rules on its property.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.
Meeting on shoreline access at Meadowdale Beach Park
When: Monday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Meadowdale High School Great Hall (entrance nearest the flag pole)
6002 168th St. SW
Lynnwood, WA 98037
More info: Logan Daniels at 425-388-6619 or logan.daniels@snoco.org; or visit www.snohomishcountywa.gov/2710/Meadowdale
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