YBSA Monthly Report, October 2018
YBSA Monthly Report
October 2018
Lake Kachess Drought Relief Environmental Impact Statement (EIS):The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) received around 6000 letters with comments on the Lake Keechelus-to-Lake Kachess Conveyance Facility and Lake Kachess Pumping Project. The BOR staff is still working to respond to the concerns. A record of decision will be determined when the EIS review is completed. The total estimated cost of construction and operation has yet to be identified. The big question is who will be responsible for the costs.
2018-2019 Winter Weather Prediction: The weather prediction for this winter in the Yakima Basin including the Cascades is warmer weather, less snow fall, and more rain. The effect on the Yakima River Basin could be another year without water for instream flow and out of stream use. The water supply for the summer of 2019 depends on snowpack and storage. Snowpack melting provides 2/3 of the water necessary with storage only providing 1/3 of the water needed.
2017 and 2018 Daily Counts at Prosser (Jan 1-Sept. 23):
| Species | 2017 | 2018 |
| Sockeye | 372 | 438 |
| Chinook | 6,173 | 2,677 |
| Jack Chinook | 1,239 | 195 |
| Coho | 3,050 | 256 |
| Jack Coho | 222 | 33 |
Source: Columbia Basin Research
NOTE: There are about 125 river miles between Prosser and Cle Elum, the home stretch for salmon returning for Upper Kittitas County.
$76M contract let for Yakima Basin Fish Passage at Cle Elum Lake (Northern Kittitas Tribune, Sept. 27, 2018): The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) announced a $75,967,000 contract to Spokane’s Garco Construction, Inc. for construction services at Cle Elum Dam. The funds will be used for construction of a helix, gate, and intake for fish passage to begin in spring 2019 and end in the summer of 2023.
The project is funded under a 50/50 cost-share agreement between the State of Washington and BOR. The Cle Elum Dam Fish Passage Project is a component of the Yakima Basin Integrate Plan, said to be a comprehensive and balanced approach to water resources and ecosystems restoration improvements.
Work under this contract involves constructing the juvenile fish facility intake structure, gate chamber, and helix chamber from the previously constructed secant pile shaft and tunnel Principal components are as follows: earthwork, cost-in=place and precast, reinforced concrete features; structural steel, metal fabrications, architectural features, and mechanical and electrical features.
Built in 1933, Cle Elum Dam is an earth-fill dam owned and operated by the BOR.
Water Storage: The 5 reservoirs are at 23% of storage which is near the average for this time of year.
Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.