Uchee Creek

Uchee Creek
Phenix City, Alabama
Roadway Over Critical Habitat
Project Team Members:
Owner:
Private Landowner
Contractor:
Redfish Marine of Santa Rosa Beach FL for
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Technical Description:
• Width:
10 - ft.
• Span: 120 - ft.
• Style: Capstone®
• Finish: Weathering Steel
• Decking: Wood
Installation Date: May 2010
After an evaluation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Uchee Creek was designated as critical habitat for several
mussel species such as the shiny-rayed pocketbook
and oval pigtoe. Other species of concern include the
rare southern elktoe mussel as well as 10 species of fish
including the shoal bass and the extremely rare Halloween
darter. In order to restore the habitat for these species, a
deteriorating earthen / concrete crossing was deemed an
obstruction and needed to be replaced with a structure
having a natural bottom.
“Once the area was designated as critical habitat, the
area became a high funding priority,” added Chris Metcalf, Private Lands Coordinator with U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service. “The original structure’s small openings did not provide adequate passage for
aquatic life and needed to be replaced with a structure that could span from bank to bank.”
In addition, the new structure had to meet the challenges of the site which included site remoteness,
extremely difficult access and numerous heavy rain flooding events. To meet these site challenges,
a 120’ x 10’ Contech vehicular truss bridge was chosen to replace the deteriorating structure. The
design of the new structure also corrected flooding issues of the old structure by placing the chord
well above the 100 year flood elevation.
The installation of the new truss bridge - chosen for its cost efficiency, quality and style - restored
normal flows and habitat conditions in this section of the stream channel. Overall, this project
opened up 25 miles of aquatic organism passage and created 400 linear feet of habitat for shoal
bass.
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