Yakima County acquired a 35.22 acre conservation easement on the Ingham property, an operating orchard at the confluence of Cowiche Creek and the Naches River, west of Yakima. Previous studies identified the property as critical for plans to return Cowiche Creek to a less confined floodplain with prime habitat for ESA listed steelhead and spring Chinook Salmon as well as Bull Trout and Coho Salmon habitat. The goals of the project were to protect the confluence of Cowiche Creek with the Naches River from heavy development pressure and to preserve and enhance fish and wildlife habitat in the lower reaches of both Cowiche Creek and the Naches River. The other primary objective of this project was to secure the necessary property interests to reconnect Cowiche Creek to its floodplain in a more sustainable alignment. The existing Cowiche Creek channel within the project area has seen decades of degradation and channelization due to adjacent railroad, highway transportation and irrigation infrastructure. The re-aligned channel (to be completed outside this grant) will remove partial fish blockages and false attraction flows in Cowiche Creek as a component of a larger, multiple reach restoration plan for the lower Naches River. Lower Cowiche Creek Conservation Easement removed all development rights from the entire 35.22 acre property. It is comprised of three zones that cover different portions of the property and allow different uses. Those areas currently used for tree fruit agriculture will continue to be used for that purpose in perpetuity; generally these areas lie on the floodplain terrace. Those areas which are currently below the terrace, in the active floodplain of the Naches River and Cowiche Creek, will be within a protected riparian zone in perpetuity. The final cost of the project was much higher than that estimated during application as the appraised value of the property exceeded expectations.