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Napa County wants to replace this culvert on Dry Creek Road at Campbell Creek to reduce erosion and to remove a fish barrier. This photo is from a 2011 report by the Napa County Resource Conservation District.
A six-foot-diameter corrugated steel pipe culvert at Dry Creek Road north of the city of Napa is targeted for a $1.6 million replacement project — and that's just part of a bigger story to help fish and the Napa River.
The culvert at Campbell Creek blocks steelhead trout from continuing upstream. The culvert design can lead to erosion and to sediments washing to the distant Napa River, to the detriment of fish, according to various studies.
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A new Campbell Creek culvert would make a big difference, given the area above the culvert is considered to have a very valuable fish spawning habitat, county Public Works Director Steven Lederer said.
“Overall, watersheds degrade one small piece at a time and are improved one small piece at a time,” he said.
There are a lot of pieces. The county and its cities and town must meet state Water Quality Control Board orders dating back to 2003 to reduce sediments and pathogens entering the Napa River.
For the cities, that means doing such things as convincing residents to pick up after their dogs. Pet waste is considered by the state as a major urban contributor to pathogens reaching Napa River.
Napa County must reduce sediments at culverts and bridges in rural areas. The county in 2014 considered 234 crossing for potential projects. It later narrowed this down to 19 priority projects to be completed by July 2026 and another 10 by 2046.
Lederer said several projects have been done to date, such as replacing a large culvert on Greenwood Avenue in Calistoga. More recently, the county did two replacements along Redwood Road west of the city of Napa.
Now the county is looking at the Campbell Creek culvert along Dry Creek Road in the Mount Veeder area several miles north of the city of Napa. Campbell Creek crosses under Dry Creek Road into Dry Creek near the Dry Creek fire station.
The Napa County Board of Supervisors last week approved spending $382,355 for Cardno Engineering Inc. to design the new culvert. Construction could begin in 2024.
In 2011, the Napa County Resource Conservation District released a report looking at fish barriers in the county. The Campbell Creek culvert made the list.
The report found the culvert is undersized and at risk of flooding and failure during large storms. The culvert is also a “complete barrier” to fish seeking to move upstream because of its height from the lower pool and excessive water velocities.
Remove and replace the culvert and regrade the streambed, the report recommended.
Steelhead trout are listed as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act. They return from the ocean to the Napa River during the winter and can migrate up various streams.
Lederer said the county will try to obtain grant funding for the Campbell Creek culvert, as it has for similar projects. If it cannot do so, it will find local funding.
Whether the county can replace or repair 19 crossings by 2026 remains to be seen.
“We continue to move forward with culverts as resources (including funding) allow," Lederer said in an email.
Napa County and its cities and its towns aren’t alone in having to reduce sediments going into the Napa River. The state in 2017 required grape growers in the Napa River and Sonoma Creeks watersheds to take erosion-control steps.
In case you missed it, here is a look at the most-read stories on NapaValleyRegister.com.
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This is the Napa County's least expensive home sold in January. The home is located at 1158 Hopkins Ln., Napa. It received multiple offers and sold for $380,000.
This is the Napa County's least expensive home sold in January. The home is located at 1158 Hopkins Ln., Napa. It received multiple offers and sold for $380,000.
This is the Napa County's least expensive home sold in January. The home is located at 1158 Hopkins Ln., Napa. It received multiple offers and sold for $380,000.
This is the Napa County's least expensive home sold in January. The home is located at 1158 Hopkins Ln., Napa. It received multiple offers and sold for $380,000.
This is the Napa County's least expensive home sold in January. The home is located at 1158 Hopkins Ln., Napa. It received multiple offers and sold for $380,000.
This is the Napa County's least expensive home sold in January. The home is located at 1158 Hopkins Ln., Napa. It received multiple offers and sold for $380,000.
This is the Napa County's least expensive home sold in January. The home is located at 1158 Hopkins Ln., Napa. It received multiple offers and sold for $380,000.
You can reach Barry Eberling at 256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com.
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Barry Eberling covers Napa County government, transportation, the environment and general assignments. He has worked for the Napa Valley Register since fall 2014 and previously worked 27 years for the Daily Republic of Fairfield.
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Despite the winery's sale, Doug Shafer, winemaker Elias Fernandez, and the company’s winemaking and vineyard teams are remaining on-staff throughout the transition.
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Napa County wants to replace this culvert on Dry Creek Road at Campbell Creek to reduce erosion and to remove a fish barrier. This photo is from a 2011 report by the Napa County Resource Conservation District.
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