Wolf Creek Reclamation District (WCRD) used this funding to upgrade and improve its entire delivery system to address concerns of continued operation as impacted by the Endangered Species Act. WCRD diverts irrigation water from Wolf Creek, a tributary to the Methow River, which provides habitat for three listed species: Chinook Salmon and Upper Columbia River steelhead (both listed as endangered) Bull Trout (listed as threatened). WCRD Directors committed to a progressive approach, with the goal of finding workable solutions that meet fish needs while also meeting their obligation to provide reliable irrigation supply. Key objectives are: restoration of stream flows by use of storage and conservation; improvement of habitat; better scientific understanding of fish needs. In 2000, WCRD modified the Patterson Lake Dam spillway to return the lake’s storage capacity of to its historic and permitted level. Patterson Lake is WCRD’s storage reservoir. They restored Lower Wolf Creek, which had been channelized following the 1971-72 flood, with rock weirs, plunge pools, and woody complexity to provide resting and passage opportunities for late season migrating listed fish. The district also enclosed and buried about 5,800 feet of open irrigation ditch in PVC pipe. In 2001, WCRD rebuilt the diversion structure in Wolf Creek. The structure impeded fish passage during most of the summer months, thereby restricting use of approximately 8 miles of quality habitat passage. They continued replacing open ditching on Patterson Mountain, which was a lengthy process due to the permitting processes that necessitated time extensions. WCRD secured additional funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Through 2006, WCRD continued its comprehensive approach to improving efficiency by installing flow measurement devices and meters at individual turnouts.