Download the full plan and fact sheet.

The Hood Canal Bridge carries traffic across the northern outlet of Hood Canal.  Because of its location, all salmon and steelhead must pass the Hood Canal Bridge on their migration to and from the Pacific Ocean. Recent studies indicate the bridge is a barrier to fish passage.  Slower migration times, higher mortality rates in the vicinity of the bridge relative to other areas on their migration route, and unique behavior and mortality patterns at the Bridge suggest the bridge is impeding steelhead migration and increasing predation. Additionally, recent research modeling the potential impact of the bridge suggests that the bridge may disrupt water circulation.

In 2015, federal, state, tribal, and nonprofit partners convened to develop the Hood Canal Bridge Ecosystem Impact Assessment Plan. The plan is designed to pinpoint how the bridge is negatively affecting ESA-listed juvenile steelhead survival; determine whether other salmon may also be affected; and determine whether, and if so, to what extent the bridge is impacting the health of the Hood Canal ecosystem.  The document describes the overall plan framework, its adaptive management structure, and the details of the first phase of the assessment.

Learn more about the Hood Canal Bridge Ecosystem Impact Assessment on the Long Live The Kings project webpage.