July 9, 2025
The Edmonds Environmental Council (EEC) is filing a complaint with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) on the City of Edmonds’ ongoing refusal to restore fish passage in lower Perrinville Creek. The EEC is alarmed that a City that touts support for salmon recovery in Puget Sound is allowing the eradication of salmon in one of its creeks. This is especially hypocritical because the blockage impacts the adult coho salmon that otherwise would be returning this fall to Perrinville Creek as part of a cooperative salmon restoration effort in Edmonds creeks.
In early 2021, the City of Edmonds illegally eliminated adult salmon access to lower Perrinville Creek while dealing with residential flooding. But, the City did commit to restore salmon passage in the summer of 2021 or soon thereafter. However, four summers (when the work could have been done) have now passed and the City’s blockage of the creek using sign boards and sediment heap remains intact (see photo). And, the illegally modified concrete overflow structures, which have NO fish passage, continue to be maintained for diversion of the entire creek flow with no regard to detrimental impacts to salmon. To add insult to injury to salmon recovery, the City announced in early 2025 that there were no plans to restore salmon passage for at least another three years in spite of the known damage that would cause to the cooperative salmon restoration efforts in Perrinville Creek that commenced in 2023.
The EEC believes the City’s maintenance actions at the diversion structures are a violation of RCW 77.15.320, which states: “Unlawful failure to provide, maintain, or operate fishway for dam or other obstruction . . . . Fails to continuously supply a fishway with a sufficient supply of water to allow the free passage of fish.” The City’s unpermitted actions in 2021 were a violation of the State’s Hydraulic Code Rule (WAC 220-660), but WDFW advised that the statute of limitations on enforcement action have lapsed, though subsequent Hydraulic Code violations may apply.
 Perrinville Creek BEFORE salmon passage blockage |  Perrinville Creek AFTER illegal blockage by City of Edmonds |
The City’s actions also appear to be a violation of the City’s own Critical Area Ordinance which states “No activity or use shall be allowed that results in a net loss of the functions or values of critical areas.” [ECDC 23.40.050 – Protection of critical areas]
The EEC hopes, that by filing these complaints, the City will be obligated to re-open lower Perrinville Creek fish passage THIS SUMMER so that the adult coho salmon from the restoration effort will be able to return to Perrinville Creek this year.
For Further Information Contact: Edmonds.Envir.Council@gmail.com