Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group

THE MID COLUMBIA FISHERIES ENHANCEMENT GROUP WILL BE AWARDED A $9,321,750 MULTI-YEAR AWARD OVER 4 YEARS TO RESTORE HEADWATERS OF WASHINGTON STATES YAKIMA RIVER, RESTORE FISH PASSAGE TO UP TO 4.2 MILES OF STREAM HABITAT, AND TO DESIGN RESTORATION ALONG ADDITIONAL MILES IN THE RIVER BASIN. THE CURRENT HABITAT LACKS SPAWNING GRAVEL AND IS INCISED WITH SIMPLIFIED HABITAT THAT LACKS THE COMPLEXITY, SHADE AND FLOODPLAIN NEEDED FOR CHINOOK AND STEELHEAD GROWTH AND SURVIVAL. THIS WORK IS BEING FUNDED BY THE COMMUNITY-BASED RESTORATION PROGRAM.

THIS APPLICATION SEEKS FUNDS TO SUPPORT 12 MWEES A YEAR FOR TWO YEARS. EACH YEAR, THE MWEES WILL REACH 1,550 STUDENTS IN CENTRAL WASHINGTON. THE MWEES ARE SUPPORTED AND STRENGTHENED BY RELATED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. MWEES WILL BE ENRICHED BY THE PARTICIPATION OF SPANISH-SPEAKING COLLEGE STUDENT MENTORS. THE MWEES USE MIGRATORY SALMON AS A MEANS TO HELP STUDENTS CONNECT LOCAL WATERSHED AND COMMUNITY ISSUES TO DOWNSTREAM AND OCEAN CONDITIONS AND CLIMATE CHANGE. EACH MWEE IS TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF THE PARTICIPATING DISTRICT. THE PROPOSAL LEVERAGES THE SUPPORT OF MULTIPLE PARTNERS INCLUDING THE YAKAMA NATION AND 14 SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THE GRANT WILL SUPPORT MWEES IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH HIGHER POPULATIONS OF STUDENTS FROM UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, INCLUDING THE WAHLUKE AND GRANGER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AMONG OTHERS. THE BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES TRAINING FOR A WATERSHED EDUCATOR TO STRENGTHEN TECHNIQUES FOR REACHING STUDENTS FROM HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON WATERSHED CONNECTIONS, 21 -23

CENTRAL WASHINGTON WATERSHED CONNECTIONS

WATERSHED AND OCEAN CONNECTIONS, 2019-2020

WATERSHED CONNECTIONS - HANDS ON SALMON, CLIMATE, AND OCEAN SCIENCE

WATERSHED CONNECTIONS - HANDS ON SALMON, CLIMATE, AND OCEAN SCIENCE

WATERSHED & OCEAN CONNECTIONS

THE LOWER YAKIMA RIVER RIPARIAN REFORESTATION PROJECT WILL PROTECT OFF-CHANNEL REFUGE HABITAT IN A GROUNDWATER-FED TRIBUTARY CHANNEL AND INCREASE SHADE AND FILTRATION BY REMOVING LIVESTOCK ACCESS FROM THE SHORELINE AND PLANTING THE LEFT BANK OF THE YAKIMA RIVER AT RIVER MILE 80. THE PROJECT WILL REPLANT 10.8 ACRES OF GRAZED LAND ALONG 3,250 STREAM FT OF THE MAINSTEM YAKIMA RIVER. IT WILL PLANT 1,440 NATIVE TREES AND SHRUBS AND INSTALL 2,135 FEET OF LIVESTOCK EXCLUSION FENCING TO PROTECT BOTH BANKS OF THE 1800-FT SPRING CHANNEL. THE PROJECT WILL BENEFIT ALL YAKIMA SALMON RUNS, INCLUDING SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL CHINOOK, COHO, AND SOCKEYE. IT WILL ALSO BENEFIT FEDERALLY THREATENED STEELHEAD.

THE YAKIMA RM 150 RIPARIAN RESTORATION PROJECT WILL IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT BY EXCLUDING CATTLE AND RESTORING RIPARIAN HABITAT ALONG 500 STREAM FT ON THE RIGHT BANK OF A YAKIMA RIVER SIDE CHANNEL THE PROJECT WILL SLOW BANK EROSION, INCREASE SEDIMENTATION DURING SURFACE FLOWS, AND CREATE CANOPY COVER BY REFORESTING 1 7 ACRES OF RIPARIAN HABITAT

SORENSON CREEK - YAKIMA RIVER RIPARIAN ENHANCEMENT

INDIAN CREEK IS A UNIQUE LOCATION CHARACTERIZED BY MINIMAL HUMAN INFLUENCE, COLD, CLEAN WATER, AND THE POTENTIAL TO SERVE AS A LONG-TERMCOLD-WATER REFUGE FOR BULL TROUT. THIS ASSESSMENT PROJECT AIMS TO PROVIDE ACTIONABLE CONSERVATION BENEFITS TO THE INDIAN CREEK BULL TROUT POPULATIONBY IDENTIFYING RESTORATION OPPORTUNITIES, MONITORING POPULATION TRENDS, AND ADDRESSING EMERGING THREATS.A PRIMARY GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO ASSESS HABITAT QUALITY AND QUANTITY IN BOTH THE SPRINGS AND MAINSTEM OF INDIAN CREEK THROUGH A UNITED STATESFOREST SERVICE (USFS) LEVEL 2 HABITAT SURVEY. THIS SURVEY WILL IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE SUITABLE HABITAT IS LIMITED AND PRIORITIZE LOCATIONS FOR FUTURERESTORATION EFFORTS. ADDITIONALLY, BULL TROUT ABUNDANCE WILL BE MONITORED VIA REDD SURVEYS, WHILE SNORKEL SURVEYS WILL PROVIDE BASELINE DATA ON FISHCOMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND BULL TROUT DEMOGRAPHICS. TOGETHER, THESE DATA WILL ESTABLISH PRE-RESTORATION CONDITIONS AND HIGHLIGHT AREAS WHEREREARING HABITAT IS LIMITED, INFORMING RESTORATION STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE CONSERVATION OUTCOMES.INDIAN CREEK IS BEGINNING TO EXPERIENCE SEASONAL DEWATERING IN PORTIONS OF THE MAINSTEM DUE TO THE MANAGEMENT OF THE RESERVOIR INTO WHICH ITFEEDS. THE RESERVOIR IS KEPT AT HIGH ELEVATIONS DURING SPRING RUNOFF, LEADING TO BEDLOAD ACCUMULATION IN THE LOWER REACH OF INDIAN CREEK. THISPROJECT WILL DOCUMENT THE TIMING AND EXTENT OF DEWATERING AND CONDUCT EMERGENCY FISH RESCUES FOR BULL TROUT AS NECESSARY. TEMPERATUREMONITORING OF THE MAIN STEM AND SPRINGS WILL CONTINUE, OFFERING CRITICAL EMPIRICAL DATA TO CONFIRM INDIAN CREEK S ROLE AS A CLIMATE REFUGE FOR THESPECIES.TO REDUCE RECREATIONAL IMPACTS, THE PROJECT WILL SUPPORT THE MID-COLUMBIA FISHERIES BULL TROUT TASK FORCE IN INSTALLING PERMANENT CLOSED FISHING SIGNAGE, ENGAGING IN COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, AND REMOVING RECREATIONAL ROCK DAMS NEAR THE RIVER S MOUTH, ADJACENT TO A USFSCAMPGROUND.INDIAN CREEK BULL TROUT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED AS A DONOR POPULATION FOR REINTRODUCTION EFFORTS ELSEWHERE IN THE YAKIMA RIVER BASIN. HOWEVER,CURRENT POPULATION TREND DATA IS LIMITED. BY CONDUCTING THIS COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT, THE PROJECT WILL NOT ONLY INFORM HABITAT RESTORATIONOBJECTIVES BUT ALSO PROVIDE DEMOGRAPHIC ESTIMATES TO GUIDE FUTURE DECISIONS REGARDING DONOR STOCK USE.THE LONG-TERM VISION FOR INDIAN CREEK INCLUDES INCREASING HABITAT AVAILABILITY AND CARRYING CAPACITY THROUGH TARGETED RESTORATION EFFORTS. THESEACTIONS AIM TO ENHANCE HABITAT COMPLEXITY AND FLOODPLAIN ACCESS, BUFFERING THE POPULATION AGAINST LARGE NATURAL DISTURBANCE EVENTS. AS INDIANCREEK EVOLVES INTO A ROBUST REFUGE, II HOLDS THE POTENTIAL TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE RECOVERY OF EXTIRPATED POPULATIONS OR SUPPLEMENT THOSE ON THE BRINKOF EXTIRPATION IN THE YAKIMA RIVER BASIN.

WHISKEY CREEK A CRITICAL MIGRATION CORRIDOR TO THE NANEUM HEADWATERS AND A PRIORITY WATERSHED FOR STEELHEAD RECOVERY IN THE YAKIMA BASIN WILL BENEFIT FROM THE REMOVAL OF THREE FISH PASSAGE BARRIERS AND ENHANCEMENT OF STREAM AND RIPARIAN HABITAT ALONG A QUARTER MILE REACH THESE ACTIONS WILL PROVIDE NEARTERM UPSTREAM PASSAGE FOR ESA LISTED STEELHEAD SPRING CHINOOK SALMON COHO SALMON PACIFIC LAMPREY RESIDENT TROUT AND OTHER AQUATIC SPECIES. AS PART OF A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AMONG LOCAL AGENCIES CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS AND LANDOWNERS THE PROJECT WILL ADVANCE RECOVERY GOALS IMPROVE WATERSHED FUNCTION SUPPORT HABITAT RESILIENCE AND PROMOTE LONG TERM STEWARDSHIP OF CRITICAL AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

WHISKEY CREEK IS A CRITICAL MIGRATION CORRIDOR TO THE NANEUM HEADWATERS AND A PRIORITY WATERSHED FOR STEELHEAD RECOVERY IN THE YAKIMA BASIN. FISH WILL BENEFIT FROM THE REMOVAL OF THREE FISH PASSAGE BARRIERS AND ENHANCEMENT OF STREAM AND RIPARIAN HABITAT ALONG A QUARTER MILE REACH. THESE ACTIONS WILL PROVIDE NEAR TERM UPSTREAM PASSAGE FOR ESA LISTED STEELHEAD SPRING CHINOOK SALMON COHO SALMON PACIFIC LAMPREY RESIDENT TROUT AND OTHER AQUATIC SPECIES. AS PART OF A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AMONG LOCAL AGENCIES CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS AND LANDOWNERS THE PROJECT WILL ADVANCE RECOVERY GOALS IMPROVE WATERSHED FUNCTION SUPPORT HABITAT RESILIENCE AND PROMOTE LONG TERM STEWARDSHIP OF CRITICAL AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS.

SPOONFUL FARMS

SPOON FULL FARMS SIDE CHANNEL ENHANCEMENT

WATERSHED CONNECTIONS - HANDS-ON SALMON, CLIMATE, AND OCEAN SCIENCE

MCFEG - YAKIMA RIVER SIDE CHANNEL AT BULL CANAL DIVERSION

SWAUK CREEK / MCFEG

LOWER COWICHE CREEK RESTORATION

RATTLE SNAKE CREEK

HABITAT IMPROVEMENT

JACK CREEK FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION

DEOBLIGATION