District Projects

Projects

2018

McCaw Reach Fish Restoration Phase B

McCaw Reach Fish Restoration Phase B

McCaw Phase B improved fish habitat in a section of the Touchet River east of Waitsburg, WA. It is the third of two other completed projects in this reach of the Touchet River. It provides Mid-Columbia steelhead rearing habitat, bull trout wintering habitat, and non-listed Chinook passage and holding habitat. This project improved overall river channel complexity by increasing bar development, pool establishment, and overall stream length.

2017

Byerley Fish Passage and Screening Project

Byerley Fish Passage and Screening Project

Replaced inefficient pipe grating with a refurbished fish screen. With the more efficient screen the yearly WDFW fish salvage was no longer necessary. Funded by the WA State Conservation Commission

2016

Gailey Bridge Project

Gailey Bridge Project

The Gailey bridge project replaced a river ford (moving farming equipment by driving across the river bed) with a bridge over the Touchet River. This greatly reduced sediment delivery to the river which was highly beneficial to endangered fish species. Funding was provided by the landowner and the WA State Conservation Commission.

Monson-Cox Screen and Meter Project

Installed a set of large screens and meters while dealing with challenging geographical and topographical issues. WWCCD’s first screen project on the Snake River. Funded by WA-DOW and WA-RCO.

2015

Titus Creek Fish Passage and Screening Project

Titus Creek Fish Passage and Screening Project

This project replaced a barrier diversion dam with a custom fish screen and also opened up 2 miles of side channel well suited for fish habitat. Funded by the RCO Salmon Recovery Funding Board, the WA State Conservation Commission, and the WDFW Yakima Screen Shop.

2013

McCaw Instream Fish Habitat Restoration Phase A

McCaw Instream Fish Habitat Restoration Phase A

The first phase of a series of projects installed instream structures for 2100 feet of stream. Two side channels with a combined length of over 1000 feet were also activated. Funded by WA-DOE, WA State Conservation Commission, WA Salmon Recovery Board.

Gardena Farms Irrigation District #13 North Lateral Piping

Gardena Farms Irrigation District #13 North Lateral Piping

This irrigation efficiency piping replaced over 7 miles of inefficient open earth canals with a buried pipeline delivery system. In conjunction with the 2,800 ft. project, 5.95 CFS of water were put into trust. Funded by WA-DOE, BPA, WA State Conservation Commission, GFID #13 Board of Directors, BPA, Bureau of Reclamation.

Bergevin-Williams/Old Lowden Irrigation Piping

Bergevin-Williams/Old Lowden Irrigation Piping

This irrigation efficiency piping project involved eliminating over 8 miles of open canal delivery canals with buried pipeline conveyance. Funded by WA-DOE and BPA.

Creating Urban Riparian Buffer and Curb Projects

Creating Urban Riparian Buffer and Curb Projects

CURB projects were a joint effort by the Walla Walla County Conservation District, Tri-State Steelheaders, and the WA Dept of Ecology projects. CURB restored salmonid bearing streams in the Walla Walla and College Place urban area with funding from the WA-DOE.

Mill Creek Japanese Knotweed Removal

Targeted 5.65 miles of Mill Creek for herbicide applicationfor Japanese Knotweed. Control of Bohemian Knotweed was estimated at 75%. Funded by WA State Conservation Commission.

2012

Stone Creek Shallow Aquifer Recharge (SAR)

Stone Creek Shallow Aquifer Recharge (SAR)

This small project was designed to catch Stone Creek overflow and direct it into a recharge basin north of Commercial Drive in College Place.

Blalock Irrigation District #4 Fish Screens

Blalock Irrigation District #4 Fish Screens

Installed a custom fish screen on the last large unscreened irrigation diversion on Mill Creek. Funded by WDFW, CTUIR, BPA, Tri-State Steelheaders, WA State Conservation Commission.

Stiller Pond Shallow Aquifer Recharge

Stiller Pond Shallow Aquifer Recharge

Stiller Pond was originally used as a regulating reservoir for irrigation water used by Stiller Farms. Working with the Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership, the site was recognized and developed as a shallow aquifer recharge site. Funded by BPA.

GFID #13 2,800 ft Piping Project

GFID #13 2,800 ft Piping Project

This irrigation efficiency piping project involved eliminating 2,800 feet of open irrigation delivery canal with a 66-inch diameter pipeline beginning at the inlet of the Pine Creek Inverted Siphon that serves both the North and South Laterals for GFID. Funded by WA-DOE, BPA, WA State Conservation Commission, GFID #13 Board of Directors, Bureau of Reclamation.

G and A Smith Farms Sediment Retention Demonstration

Demonstrated actions that can be taken to reduce sediment delivery to salmonid bearing streams. Through a partnership with Bonneville Power Administration and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the road was surfaced with crushed rock and the outfall of the realroad culvert was directed into an inlet structure and pipeline designed to carry the runoff water safely and cleanly to the creek. Funded by NFWF and WA State Conservation Commission.

2010

Brewer Wetland Restoration Project

Restoration of approximately 17 acres of wetland and the construction of three open water ponds. Funded by WA State Dept. of Transportation.

GFID Piping – South Lateral Pipeline Construction

GFID Piping – South Lateral Pipeline Construction

Replaced 5.5 miles of open irrigation ditch with 4.25 miles of pipeline, allowing 3.99CFS of water to be put into trust. Funding from WA-DOE and BPA.

Dozier Instream Fish Habitat Restoration

Dozier Instream Fish Habitat Restoration

Restoration of Touchet River fish habitat and reduction of sediment recruitment through the use of barbs and large woody debris structures. The project also includes a riparian forest buffer planting on the south side of the river.

Spring Creek Barrier Removal

Remediation of two fish passage barriers on Spring Creek, a spring-fed tributary to Dry Creek located on the Jay Nowogrowski Farm. The lower barrier is at the Nowogrowski farm bridge, approximately 0.5 miles up Spring Creek Road from its intersection with Buroker Road and Hwy. 12. Funded by BPA and CTUIR.

ZMI Joint Venture Solar Pump

Installed solar powered source for a well on a remote range unit. This allowed for better grazing distribution and better utilization of the rangeland resource. Funded by WA State Conservation Commission.

2009

Dry Creek Farm Bridge Stabalization

Dry Creek Farm Bridge Stabalization

Improvement of existing bridge support abutments to avoid forking the Spring Creek. Funded by the WA State Conservation Commission.

Hofer Complex: Dam Fish Passage, Westside Irrigation Pumping Station, Westside Piping Project, Eastside Piping Project

Hofer Complex: Dam Fish Passage, Westside Irrigation Pumping Station, Westside Piping Project, Eastside Piping Project

The Hofer East-West Complex Projects involved the construction of a new fish ladder at Hofer Dam to open up adult fish access to 186 miles of stream in the Touchet River Basin, Construction of a pumping station, installation of 37,000 feet of pressurized pipeline, and the installation of another 35,000 feet of pipeline.

2008

Gose Street Fish Passage Project

Gose Street Fish Passage Project

Construction of new fish ladder and sills to aid fish passage. Funded by Bonneville Power Administration, CTUIR, US Fish and Wildife, and Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

Garrison Creek Fish Screen Project

Garrison Creek Fish Screen Project

Construction of a new high tech fish screen at the headwaters of Garrison Creek. Funded by Bonneville Power Administration and Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

Doan Creek Stream Restoration

Doan Creek Stream Restoration

This project restored Doan Creek to its historical confluence with Mill Creek, the point of irrigation diversion was changed to the mouth of the creek with water being piped to the irrigation ditch by the NGS Greate Grave. A new pump station was also developed with metering and fish screens. Funded by NPS, WA Salmon Recovery Board, WWCCD, WA State Conservation Commission, Whitman College, and the Tri-State Steelheaders.

2007

Thompson River Screen

Installation of new active cleaning fish screen for protection of salmonids. Funded by WA-Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

Bossini Passive Fish Screen

Installation of new passive cleaning fish screen for protection of salmon. Funded by WA Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

2004

GFID #13 Riggs Road and Huesby Piping

GFID #13 Riggs Road and Huesby Piping

Replaced open ditches with a closed piped system. Saved water was targeted for placement into trust. Also encouraged irrigators along the streams to participate in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Funded by NFWF, WA-DOE, BPA, USFWS.

2003

(ongoing) – WWCCD Metering Program

(ongoing) – WWCCD Metering Program

Cost-share program that enables landowners to measure their water use and come into compliance with state water-use regulations.

(ongoing) – Irrigation Diversion Screening Program

(ongoing) – Irrigation Diversion Screening Program

Cost-share program that assists landowners meet federal screening standards with federally approved fish screens.

1999

(ongoing) – CREP riparian forest buffers

(ongoing) – CREP riparian forest buffers

Restoration of native riparian forest vegetation along perennial streams with value to salmonid species. Funded by FSA and WA State Conservation Commission with technical assistance by NRCS and WWCCD. About 25% of Washington’s CREP buffers are located in Walla Walla County.