DESCRIPTION
The North Yakima Conservation District will use this grant to restore, enhance, and protect more than 25 acres of shoreline habitat for steelhead and Bull Trout, both of which are listed as threatened with extinction under the federal Endangered Species Act. The work will be done along nearly 1.5 miles of Ahtanum Creek, west of Union Gap. The conservation district will install fences, create livestock watering facilities away from the creek, and implement livestock management practices to reduce the damage to creek banks caused by livestock. In addition, the conservation district will treat weeds and plant about 6,300 native trees, shrubs, and grasses to help restore natural stream function. Planting trees and bushes along a shoreline helps shade the water, cooling it for fish. The plants also drop branches and leaves into the water, which provide food for the insects salmon eat. Finally, the roots of the plants help keep soil from entering the water, where it can smother fish spawning gravel. This reach of Ahtanum Creek lacks native trees and bushes and healthy floodplains, the water temperatures are too high, and the banks have eroded, all affecting the quality of fish spawning habitat. The North Yakima Conservation District will contribute $35,448 in a state grant and donations of equipment.
The North Yakima Conservation District enhanced and protected 25-acres of riparian habitat along 1.36 miles of Ahtanum Creek, west of Union Gap, to benefit both ESA listed steelhead and Bull Trout and non-listed Chinook, Coho, and lamprey populations. Project elements included:
FENCING: Installed or re-established 6,500 feet of barbed/smooth wire fencing along the riparian area to exclude livestock and reduce impacts to riparian habitat,
RIPARIAN PLANTING: Planted approximately 6,000 native plants including willow, black cottonwood, ponderosa pine, golden currant, red osier dogwood, snowberry, woods rose, bitterbrush, sage, and snow buckwheat throughout the site to restore natural stream function, improve bank stability, increase stream shade, and establish a source of large woody debris.
RIPARIAN HABITAT STEWARDSHIP: Provided stewardship within the riparian area through herbaceous weed control practices and supplemental watering to all newly installed plants during the grant period.
CONSERVATION GRAZING MANAGEMENT: Established four water gap sites as managed water sources for livestock, implemented a grazing management plan on 12 acres of riparian habitat, and protected newly established and existing vegetation on 13 acres of riparian habitat from grazing since livestock were excluded from this portion of the project area.
The upland habitat livestock management elements did not end up being needed, as the NYCD secured outside funding for a solar powered off channel watering facility 1,700 feet away from Ahtanum Creek. Once installed, the stream was no longer the sole source of livestock water and the operator was able to rotationally graze several pastures while utilizing the off channel watering system.
This project complimented the Yakama Nation's Lower Yakima Basin Restoration Project that expanded channel width and installed hundreds of pieces of large wood to enhance and restore instream and floodplain function in the same project area.
