KINGSTON — Known simply to Kingston residents as the “Slough,” a North End estuary that gets downright stinky every summer will soon be on the mend. Culverts, used to convert the slough into fish rearing ponds in the 1970s, will be replaced with bridges either this summer or the following year, which will improve the health of the habitat.

It is still unclear whether it will improve the smell, so residents shouldn’t hold their breath — unless driving by the slough, of course.

The $4 million improvement project is being spearheaded by the Stillwaters Environmental Center, which is hoping the bridges will be installed sooner rather than later.

The plan is to replace two culverts, one on South Kingston Road and another on West Kingston Road, with bridges to improve the health of the estuary.

The only thing delaying the project now is the federal budget.

“We are having funding issues,” said Army Corps of Engineers project manager Layna Goodman. Congress has been slow to secure federal funding, which will provide the bulk of the financial support for the project. “We have to know about the funding very soon, in the next month or two, for us to be able to do the project this year.”

Kitsap County Commissioner Chris Endresen is currently in Washington D.C. working to ensure federally-funded projects in the county get the moneys they were promised, said Kitsap County biologist Kathy Peters. The bridges are included in this effort.

“A critical component to this project is the federal budget,” Peters said. “(President George W. Bush) has put it on hold for now.”

The Salmon Recovery Funding Board has provided a $325,000 grant to assist with the culvert replacements as well, said Stillwaters administrative director Naomi Maasberg.

The culverts were installed during the 1970s when the estuary was used as a fish rearing pond, she said. Now, the structures are actually harming the estuary by restricting tidal flow and, as a result, causing stagnant water conditions.

“They didn’t realize the damage that would be done at the time,” Maasberg said.

The budget is the only thing holding the project back, Peters said, and the sooner the funding comes through, the sooner the estuary will be able to heal from the culverts’ damaging effects.

“This will open tidal flow,” Maasberg said. “It will not restrict it, which means silt will be carried out. It’ll help scrub out the estuary, improving water quality.”

While the bridge is being installed on South Kingston Road, one lane will remain open at all times so people living in the southern area of the North End will have access to downtown Kingston and the ferry, Goodman said.

While the replacement of the culvert on West Kingston Road, just around the corner from South Kingston Road, is taking place the road will be closed completely, which will allow work to progress as quickly as possible, she said.

The culvert projects will take place during the summer, and during the fish window, which is June 15 to Oct. 30, to avoid interfering with the salmon spawning season.

In the meantime, Maasberg and the county are working to educate residents about why the culverts are being replaced and keeping them informed of the road closures and potential backups.

“We’re trying to help people understand why this is a healthy thing,” Maasberg said.

“The Corps is really excited about this project,” Goodman said. “We’re really devoted to ecosystem recovery, and this is one of the good ones.”