Kittitas Conservation Trust

GOLD CREEK IS DESIGNATED AS CRITICAL HABITAT, YET SEASONAL DEWATERING CREATES A FISH PASSAGE BARRIER FOR ESA-LISTED BULL TROUT FOR SPAWNING ADULTS AND STRANDS JUVENILES IN DISCONNECTED POOLS. THE GOLD CREEK RESTORATION PROJECT WILL DECREASE THE EXTENT AND DURATION OF SEASONAL DEWATERING IN GOLD CREEK AND PROVIDE MORE COMPLEX HABITAT BY RESTORING THE AQUATIC CONNECTIVITY OF THE LOWER GOLD CREEK VALLEY. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE TO: 1) INCREASE DURATION OF STREAM FLOW BY RESTORING THE BORROW PITS TO RIPARIAN AND FORESTED WETLAND, TOTALING 30 ACRES. 2) RESTORE 2.5-MILES OF INSTREAM FISH HABITAT BY INSTALLING 141 LARGE WOOD STRUCTURES WITHIN THE STREAMBED AND THE ADJACENT FLOODPLAIN. 3) RECHARGE GROUNDWATER AQUIFERS BY REMOVING A 0.25-MILE-LONG LEVEE, RECONSTRUCTING 8 SIDE CHANNELS TOTALING 1.4 MILES, AND RECONNECTING 245 ACRES OF FLOODPLAIN. 4) RESTORE 47 ACRES OF RIPARIAN AND FORESTED WETLAND HABITAT WITH NATIVE VEGETATION.

AWARD PURPOSE: KITTITAS CONSERVATION TRUST WILL IMPLEMENT AN IN-STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT ON RIVER MILE 2-3 OF GOLD CREEK, IN KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON. LOCATED JUST EAST OF SNOQUALMIE PASS IN KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON, GOLD CREEK IS THE HEADWATERS OF THE UPPER YAKIMA RIVER AND FLOWS FOR APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES FROM THE ALPINE LAKES WILDERNESS INTO KEECHELUS RESERVOIR IN THE CENTRAL CASCADE MOUNTAINS.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: ACTIVITIES PERFORMED WILL RESTORE THE GEOMORPHOLOGY AND INCREASE THE HABITAT COMPLEXITY OF GOLD CREEK RIVER IN KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON BY INSTALLING ENGINEERED LOG JAM STRUCTURES.EXPECTED DELIVERABLES OR OUTCOMES: THE INSTREAM WOOD REPLENISHMENT WILL CREATE HABITAT COMPLEXITY, INCLUDING DEEPER POOLS WITH SHADED COVER, PROVIDE RELIEF FROM HIGH VELOCITY FLOOD FLOWS, AND ENSURE OPTIMAL HABITAT FOR BOTH THE SUCCESSFUL REARING OF JUVENILE BULL TROUT AND MIGRATION OF MATURE FISH. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE FLOODPLAIN RECONNECTION, WHICH WILL IMPROVE GROUNDWATER RECHARGE FROM FLOOD FLOWS, AND REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF FUTURE FLOOD EVENTS FURTHER HARMING THE CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THIS PROJECT ACHIEVES THE PUBLIC PURPOSE OF THE ACT BY COMPLETING AN INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT OR ACTIVITY THAT WILL ADVANCE ONE OR MORE COMPONENTS OF AN ESTABLISHED STRATEGY OR PLAN TO INCREASE THE RELIABILITY OF WATER SUPPLY FOR ECOLOGICAL VALUES AND WATERSHED HEALTH.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES (IF KNOWN OR SPECIFIED AT TIME OF AWARD): N A

GOLD CREEK IS DESIGNATED AS CRITICAL HABITAT YET SEASONAL DEWATERING CREATES A FISH PASSAGE BARRIER FOR ESALISTED BULL TROUT FOR SPAWNING ADULTS AND STRANDS JUVENILES IN DISCONNECTED POOLS. THE GOLD CREEK VALLEY RESTORATION PROJECT WILL DECREASE THE EXTENT AND DURATION OF SEASONAL DEWATERING IN GOLD CREEK AND PROVIDE MORE COMPLEX HABITAT BY RESTORING THE AQUATIC CONNECTIVITY OF THE LOWER GOLD CREEK VALLEY. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE TO1 INCREASE DURATION OF STREAM FLOW BY RESTORING THE BORROW PITS TO RIPARIAN AND FORESTED WETLAND TOTALING 30 ACRES. 2 RESTORE 2.5MILES OF INSTREAM FISH HABITAT BY INSTALLING 141 LARGE WOOD STRUCTURES WITHIN THE STREAMBED AND THE ADJACENT FLOODPLAIN. 3 RECHARGE GROUNDWATER AQUIFERS BY REMOVING A 0.25MILELONG LEVEE RECONSTRUCTING 8 SIDE CHANNELS TOTALING 1.4 MILES AND RECONNECTING 245 ACRES OF FLOODPLAIN. 4 RESTORE 47 ACRES OF RIPARIAN AND FORESTED WETLAND HABITAT WITH NATIVE VEGETATION. FUNDING FROM THIS AWARD WILL SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INSTREAM AND FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION ACTIVITIES.

THE UPPER KACHESS RIVER RESTORATION PROJECT WILL IMPROVE REARING AND MIGRATORY CONDITIONS FOR ESA LISTED BULL TROUT UPPER KACHESS RIVER IS HOME TO AN ISOLATED AND GENETICALLY DISTINCT BULL TROUT POPULATION THIS POPULATION S NUMBERS ARE LOW, AND THEIR SURVIVAL IS COMPROMISED BY IMPAIRED HABITAT, A RESULT OF HUMAN ALTERATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT INCLUDED LOGGING, ROAD BUILDING, AND DAM CONSTRUCTION AS A RESULT OF THESE IMPACTS, APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE 2 6 MILES OF HABITAT AVAILABLE TO BULL TROUT IN THE UPPER KACHESS RIVER DEWATERS EVERY SUMMER DEWATERING NEGATIVELY AFFECTS BULL TROUT AT VARIOUS LIFE STAGES INCLUDING SPAWNING AND REARING JUVENILES DEWATERING DIMINISHES THE CONDITION OF REARING HABITAT REDUCING THE CAPACITY OF YOUNG BULL TROUT TO GROW, RESULTS IN HIGH MORTALITY OF BOTH JUVENILE AND SPAWNING ADULTS DUE TO STRANDING IN DEWATERED STRETCHES, AND MAKES SPAWNING HABITAT INACCESSIBLE FOR WEEKS OR MORE AT A TIME RESULTING IN LOWER REDD NUMBERS AND REDD PLACEMENT IN LESS THAN SUITABLE LOCATIONS SUCH S THE RESERVOIR BED GIVEN THE SMALL SIZE OF THE BULL TROUT POPULATION IN KACHESS RIVER, THESE IMPACTS ARE SIGNIFICANT TO THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS POPULACE THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO REDUCE THE TIMING AND DURATION OF DEWATERING ON 0 2 MILES OF KAHCESS RIVER RM 0 7 0 9 AND WILL ENHANCE HABITAT SO THAT WHEN DEWATERING DOES OCCUR, THE CONDITIONS ARE MORE SUITABLE FOR BULL TROUT SURVIVAL TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, WE WILL CONSTRUCT 5 MID CHANNEL JAMS, 5 BAR STABILITY ROUGHNESS FEATURES, AND 2 BANK BURIED LOG JAMS REVEGETATE 1 2 ACRES OF RIPARIAN AND UPLAND SITES RECONNECT FLOODPLAIN TRIBUTARIES MAGIC CREEK AND COLD CREEK

UPPER KACHESS RIVER RESTORATION: PHASE 1

TANEUM CREEK PASSAGE

GOLD CREEK INSTREAM HABITAT RESTORATION / PASSAGE

THE GOALS OF THE GOLD CREEK RESTORATION PROJECT ARE TO RESTORE NATURAL FLOW AND IMPROVE INSTREAM HABITAT COMPLEXITY FOR BULL TROUT. SPECIFICALLY, THE OBJECTIVES ARE: (1) FILL TWO GRAVEL PITS, GOLD AND HELIS POND, TO ELIMINATE THE SIPHON EFFECT THAT PULLS WATER AWAY FROM GOLD CREEK, AND (2) RESTORE THE GEOMORPHOLOGY OF LOWER GOLD CREEK (RIVER MILES 1-3) BY INSTALLING OVER 1,000 LOGS AND WOOD STRUCTURES TO IMPROVE BULL TROUT HOLDING, SPAWNING, AND REARING HABITAT. THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY WILL PARTIALLY FUND THE PERMITTING AND DESIGNS FOR THE GOLD CREEK RESTORATION PROJECT.

TANEUM CREEK FISH PASSAGE AND WATER DELIVERY

TANEUM CREEK FISH PASSAGE PROJECT

CLE ELUM RIVER SIDE CHANNEL RESTORATION PHASE 2

GOLD CREEK INSTREAM RESTORATION BULL TROUT PHASE

GOLD CREEK IN-STREAM FLOW ENHANCEMENT

GOLD CREEK WATERSHED RESTORATION PROJECT

DEVELOP AND RESTORE FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT

GOLD CREEK BULL TROUT