Lassen National Forest officials have announced the opening of road 31N17 with the completion of two Bailey Creek Road bridges.
The location of the Bailey Creek Aquatic Organism Passages Project is along 31N17, Forest Highway 17, on the Hat Creek Ranger District. The two bridges are at the crossings of the North and South Forks of Bailey Creek within Shasta County, California, approximately four miles southwest of Manzanita Lake in the Lassen Volcanic National Park.
The affected segment of National Forest System Road 31N17 provides a vital transportation route for timber-haul, recreation, and emergency response to wildland fire.
“The contractor did a great job and was always one-step ahead even through the challenges of differing site conditions and COVID-19,” said LNF Project Engineer Todd Orange.
The project enables the species living in the creek to pass freely upstream and downstream of the bridges, preventing the populations from becoming isolated. Additionally, the bridges will improve the resilience of the crossings to 100-year floods.
“Stream health is a part of forest health. The LNF is focusing on restoring the stream connectivity and protecting water quality in the Battle Creek watershed,” said Forest Supervisor Deb Bumpus. “The upper Battle Creek Watershed is a priority for restoration because the habitat downstream is occupied by federally-listed salmon and steelhead.”
