DESCRIPTION
Salmon Creek had two major limiting factors: 1) fish passage at an irrigation diversion dam & 2) a 3.5 mile dewatered stretch of Salmon Creek caused by an irrigation diversion. The Okanogan Irrigation District (OID) stores water in two reservoirs in Conconully. Water was released from the reservoir and flowed 14 miles down the natural stream channel to its mouth in Okanogan. However, the OID diverted 100% of the stream flow approx. 3.5 miles above the mouth leaving this stretch completely dewatered and preventing steelhead and salmon from migrating to quality spawning and rearing habitat above the diversion dam. Together the CCT and the OID partnered to recruit an environmental and engineering consulting firm that developed alternatives to provide instream flows in order to support anadromous fish in Salmon Creek. The study ran from February through July 1999. The Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) has focused on restoring and enhancing anadromous fish populations and habitat in Salmon Creek through public and private partnerships since April 1997. This study has lead to other projects such as the Restore Salmon Creek Anadromous Fish project which restored access and instream flows to Salmon Creek.
Salmon Creek has two limiting factors: 1) fish passage at an irrigation diversion dam, & 2) a 3.5 mile dewatered stretch of Salmon Creek caused by an irrigation diversion. The Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) have focused on restoring and enhancing anadromous fish populations and habitat in Salmon Creek through public and private partnerships since April 1997. The Okanogan Irrigation District (OID) stores water in two reservoirs in Conconully. Water is released from the reservoir and flows 14 miles down the natural stream channel to its mouth in Okanogan. However, the OID diverts 100% of the stream flow approx. 3.5 miles above the mouth, leaving this stretch completely dewatered and preventing steelhead and salmon from migrating to quality spawning and rearing habitat above the diversion dam. Together the CCT and the OID have partnered to recruit an environmental and engineering consulting firm to develop alternatives to provide instream flows in order to support anadromous fish in Salmon Creek. This project has three goals: 1)Conduct a study of the irrigation district, & identify potential water saving opportunities within the irrigation district 2) Conduct a study of Salmon Creek & identify instream flow requirements in the lower 3.5 miles to support anadromous fish, and 3) develop a range of alternatives to provide increased instream flows to support all life stages of anadromous fish in Salmon Creek. The study would run from February through July 1999.
