Yakima Basin "Wood Fiesta"
The Yakima Basin "Wood Fiesta" Helicopter Aquatic Restoration project is a multi-watershed collaborative effort aimed at enhancing aquatic habitat in remote watersheds that have been greatly altered by past management practices. Large wood will be placed in stream and on the floodplain of seven Yakima River tributaries using a helicopter to improve habitat for native fish species. The projects are located in remote areas where terrain and or vegetation limits the use of ground-based equipment to place large wood. More information on these projects and associated temporar
Upper Wenatchee Stream Corridor Assessment and Habitat Restoration Strategy
The Yakama Nation Upper Columbia Habitat Restoration Program has completed an assessment of site conditions and potential restoration projects in the Upper Wenatchee river. This assessment evaluates aquatic habitat and watershed process conditions in order to identify habitat restoration strategies. For more information, see the report and appendices attached.
Chewuch River Mile 10 Project
The Chewuch River Mile 10 Fish Habitat Enhancement Project (RM10), improves stream complexity by improving available instream habitat, increasing side channel and off channel habitat, and stabalizing eroding banks. The RM10 project encompasses 0.85 miles of river length and provides benefits to spring chinook, Upper Columbia steelhead and bull trout, as well as providing habitat for resident fish species.
Graves Property Culvert Removal
Yakama Nation Fisheries (YNF) removed a six-foot diameter culvert and the concrete fill material associated with it. The culvert was located on Toppenish Creek (watershed area is greater than 200 sq. mi.) near the confluence of Toppenish and Simcoe Creeks, approximately ½ mile west of Brownstown Rd. The culvert is on property recently acquired by the Yakama Nation.
A reach assessment of the area adjacent to the culverts was conducted to identify any risks such as potential head-cuts or areas primed for avulsion.
Toppenish Ridge Stockwell & Pipeline
This project was implemented to assist in managing the migration of cattle from low elevations in the spring to higher elevations in the early summer. Prior to the project, upon cattle turnout on May 1, cattle would quickly travel approximately 25 miles to the headwater meadows of Satus and Toppenish Creeks. Livestock immediately impacted several important high elevation meadows, by overgrazing and by creating hardened cattle trails. These impacts further increased channel incision and bank erosion in these areas..
Satus Creek Irrigation Dam Removal
Satus Dam—also known as the Shadduck Dam—was installed in Satus Creek over a half-century ago by Wapato Irrigation Project (WIP). The dam was used to divert water to supplement the irrigation water in the Satus District of WIP. The diversion had been obsolete for over 20 years and WIP intended to remove the dam, but lacked funding.
Smartlowit Ditch Fish Screen
Yakama Nation fisheries staff developed a plan to install fish screens on three irrigation diversion ditches in Simcoe Creek Watershed, which is home to multiple freshwater life history stages of ESA listed Mid-Columbia River steelhead. These unscreened diversions had historically diverted streamflow and ultimately caused juvenile Steelhead to be stranded in the canals at the end of the irrigation season.
Lincoln Meadows Restoration
Lincoln Meadows is a headwaters meadow for Toppenish Creek. Headwater meadows are important because they contain culturally important first foods and function as water storage to maintain summer base flows in streams, which supports aquatic life. Lincoln Meadows has been impacted by a variety of human related activities, such as roads and cattle grazing, that have severely degraded the meadow's capabilities.
Status and Trends Annual Report
The Status and Trends Annual Report (STAR) Project summarizes fish population status and trends, habitat restoration action implementation, Yakama Nation production and reintroduction programs, and Federal mainstem hydrosystem improvements as they affect Yakama Nation treaty-trust aquatic species and their habitats.