Yakima County Public Services removed or breached ~1500 ft of the Eschbach Park Levee along the right bank of the Naches River northwest of Yakima, WA and relocated portions of it landward 800 to 1100 ft from its original location. Retention of some level of protection of the park was necessary to protect the Yakima Valley Canal head-works and fish screens. Levee setback provides fish access to over 36 acres of high quality, mature riparian habitat. Yakima County also constructed 2300 ft of new side channel through the newly accessible floodplain. The new side channel flows into 2 other side channels that were cut off by the original levee construction in 1974. A total of 1.6 miles of side channel is now connected to the river. Large woody debris was added to the new side channel as it became available during the construction process. Native riparian vegetation was planted throughout the project site through a different funding source. In conjunction with the levee setback, the County constructed a new inlet channel and headgate for the Yakima Valley Irrigation Company canal. Historically, the company diverted irrigation water from the Naches River by constructing a seasonal gravel push-up dam in the river. The annual alteration of the channel through construction of the dam required use of heavy equipment in the river, causing disturbance to aquatic species. Construction of the new inlet channel and headgate eliminates the need for the push-up dam. Although the immediate project reconnects 36 acres of floodplain, over the long term, levee removal will allow the river to reconnect 2.1 miles of the Naches River to its historic floodplain. The river will now be able to migrate towards its right bank and promote the development of complex floodplain habitat downstream of the project site. This downstream floodplain was accessible to flood flows prior to the project, but the configuration of the original levee prevented channel migration and constricted the direction of flood flow so as to inhibit side channel development. This area is used by ESA listed (threatened) Mid-Columbia steelhead and Bull Trout, as well as Coho and spring Chinook. The types of habitat located in and around Eschbach Park are especially important to Chinook and Coho due to numerous spring-fed channels that exist on the site. As these habitats become reconnected to the river at multiple points and expand in extent, habitat quality and quantity will increase dramatically in the lower Naches River. All of the floodplain areas affected are already in conservation status, thus the habitat will be protected in perpetuity.