DESCRIPTION
It has been well established by all pertinent Federal, State, and local agencies that screening pump and gravity irrigation diversions with screens meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) juvenile fish criteria is key to ESA listed fish recovery. Both Mid-Columbia Steelhead and Bull Trout are ESA listed as "Threatened" and found in the Walla Walla Subbasin. Since inception in 2001, the WDFW Cooperative Compliance Review Program in partnership with the Walla Walla County Conservation District has been highly successful in reducing juvenile fish mortality by placing over 300 state and federally approved fish screens on irrigation pumps throughout Walla Walla county. The CCRP–fish screen installation program reflects voluntary efforts by landowners to come into compliance with applicable regulations regarding diversion from fish bearing surface waters.
The objective of the project is to protect and reduce salmon mortality caused by water withdrawal and diversions in the Walla Walla Basin. There will be a significant increase in productivity of steelhead smolts and juvenile bull trout when fry mortality due to irrigation entrainment is reduced by the use of NMFS compliant fish screens. With the use of a compliant screen, mortality rates due to entrainment are reduced 100%.