Fixing Barrier Culverts Aim of Treaty Tribes’ Suit
Treaty Indian tribes in western Washington filed suit in federal district court against the State of Washington to compel the state to fix and maintain culverts under state roads in western Washington that illegally prevent wild salmon from reaching spawning and rearing habitat. The suit was filed as a sub-proceeding of United States v. Washington (the Boldt Decision), the landmark 1974 case that reaffirmed the tribes’ treaty-reserved fishing rights.