YBSA Monthly Report September, 2015
YBSA Monthly Report
September, 2015
Reservoir Water: As of September 30, the 5 reservoirs which provide water for fish and agriculture are down to 16% of capacity. With very little carryover water available in storage and the possibility of a less than normal snowpack, a more severe drought could occur in 2016.
Lake Kachess Pumping Project: A review of a temporary pumping project to access water from Lake Kachess below the existing dam (dead water) is being considered. See article:
Lake Cle Elum Fish Passage: A presentation about the Cle Elum Dam Fish Passage Facilities was presented at the Work Group Meeting.
First phase of Cle Elum Dam fish passage construction to begin this fall
from Northern Kittitas County Tribune
September 24, 2015
By Erik Pague (erik@nkctribune.com)
RONALD – In a ceremony held at the Cle Elum Dam on Thursday, Aug. 27, local, state, federal and Yakama Nation officials gathered to announce that the official start of construction of a $100 million, high-tech fish passage at the more than 80-year-old facility is scheduled to begin this fall. The initial work will consist of building a bridge and access road across the Cle Elum River to allow work crews to access the construction site on the south bank of the river and Lake Cle Elum.
The planning for the passage began in the late 1990s and the project is intended to restore salmon biodiversity – particularly species like sockeye – to the lake and river while still providing enough water to meet the demands of irrigators downstream.
Agencies represented at the ceremony include dam owner Bureau of Reclamation, the Washington State Dept. of Ecology, and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife along with representatives and council members from the Yakama Nation.
Reclamation Pacific Northwest Regional director Lorri Lee said Bellingham-based Strider Construction is handling the bridge project, which she said should be completed by October 2016. Lee also explained how the unique helix design of the fish passage uses varying heights of entrances to allow fish to exit the reservoir at Lake Cle Elum no matter what depth it is at. A video explaining the design is available online at usbr.gov/pn/programs/eis/cle-elum.
“The intakes are staggered along the shoreline so fish can find the passage easily,” Lee said. “This is a world class facility . . . and will play a huge role in restoring this natural legacy to the watershed.”
Yakama Nation fisheries research scientist Mark Johnston said the passage would work in combination with a more conventional catch and release program that involves capturing fish at the base of the dam on the river side then trucking them to the lake in order for them to reach their traditional spawning sites higher up the watershed. Johnston said the finished project should be an environmentally friendly way to restore fish diversity and satisfy the desires of tribal leaders and fishermen who originally pushed for the passage more than a decade ago.
We’re putting the ecosystem back together and the biggest part is we’re doing it with the least amount of impacts on anybody else,” Johnston said. “It’s a win-win situation for everybody.”
Lake Cle Elum Pool Raise: Mitigation and shoreline protection costs created by the 3-ft. raise in the surface of the Lake are being evaluated.
Keechelus to Kachess Conveyance & Pumping Project: The Draft EIS for the Keechelus to Kachess Conveyance and the Drought Relief Pumping plant are still being reviewed.
Two proposed Tunnels to transfer water from the Keechelus Basin to Kachess are still being studied. The Lake Kachess draw down continues with the need to address concerns such as property values, ground water depletion, additional drilling to locate the pumping plant in the Lake, and fish passage between Lake Kachess and Little Lake Kachess.
Tieton Dam: An appraisal assessment is now being completed for fish passage facilities for Tieton Dam (Rimrock Lake).
Lower Yakima River Water: The water in the Lower Yakima River is being studied to address the low flows in the river and thermal blockage that curtails fish passage. During this year’s drought very few salmonoids have traversed the Lower Yakima River.
Presentation at Work Group Meeting: At the September 3 Integrated Plan Work Group Meeting YBSA expressed their concern that the plan is taking too long to address the water supply problem in the Basin, thermal barrier effects on returning sockeye, and the past and future concerns about expansion of Bumping Lake, the project should be removed from consideration.