Don C. Brunell

Washington’s Expensive Culvert Court Case

While much of the media buzz over declining salmon runs focuses on dam removal and predation by sea lions and cormorants, the U.S. Supreme Court is asked to decide whether Washington State needs to spend an additional $2.4 billion to replace more road culverts.

In 2001, Western Washington Tribes sued claiming the state needed to remove culverts which block salmon migrating to spawning channels. The Ninth Circuit agreed with the Tribes and oral arguments were heard at the Supreme Court in April.

The state argues much of the culvert replacement is comple...