The North Yakima Conservation District (NYCD), with support from the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Yakima Screen Shop (YSS), designed, fabricated and installed fish screens on five unscreened diversions on upper Ahtanum Creek and the North Fork Ahtanum Creek west of Yakima, WA. A sixth project (Weed Diversion) was designed within the timeframe of this grant, but construction occured with other funds after the grant expired. Three irrigation diversions originally planned to be screened (Summet #32, Glenn #34, and Herke #24) were abandoned as no water right was confirmed. Unscreened diversions were treated with screens appropriate for their size and location, i.e. modular paddle wheel driven drum screens, modular rotary wiper plate screens, or pump intake screens. Head gates, grade control structures, and water meters were installed on three of the larger diversions. In addition to screening, at one property along the North Fork Ahtanum, the NYCD reconnected a 1/4 acre off-channel pond and 0.25 miles of side channel, installed 2 rootwads to enhance habitat, and planted 3 acres of riparian vegetation. NYCD installed 4 rootwads on a another site on North Fork Ahtanum and planted 1/4 acre of riparian vegetation at a site along Ahtanum Creek. Screening and abandonment of these diversions will allow fish to safely access approximately 10 miles of upper Ahtanum Creek habitat. Ahtanum Creek lies partially within the Yakima Nation and it currently supports steelhead, Bull Trout, Chinook and Coho salmon, making it high priority stream for fish passage improvements.
PARTNER: Ahtanum Irrigation District, Department of Fish and Wildlife
SPONSOR: North Yakima Conservation District