When replacement is cost-prohibitive or impractical, the culvert might be made more hospitable to fish and the streambed more resistant to flood damage by installing large boulders to create a step-like structure in the stream at the downstream end of the culvert, said Michelle Brown, an AdirondackNatureConservancy biologist.
"We've been exploring using culverts as a way to alleviate flooding and protect human safety, as well as helping fish and wildlife, " said Connie Prickett of the Adirondack chapter of The NatureConservancy.