Lower Yakima River Projects Development and Prioritization
Figuring out the Puzzle
Of all the Yakima River basin, the Lower 100 miles of the river is the most complex due to cold water fishery running through the arid shrub step while supporting agricultural industry. The result is a river that is lower than normal, depleted/managed hydrograph, abnormal heating, and constrained habitat. With the heavy investment in the upper portions of the Yakima, the numbers of returning salmon and steelhead still are depleted. Evidence is indicating the major bottleneck in Yakima River salmon production is the lower Yakima River. Yakima Nation Predation Report, USGS Sockeye Report, Benton Conservation District Lower Yakima Assessment, Benton Conservation District Water Stargrass Recommendation Report, Wapato Reach Assessment, and various other reports all reference these conditions.
Mid-Columbia has implemented various lower river projects from RM 25 to RM 80 in the lower Yakima. However, to best prioritize and find efficient means for high value projects we are developing a prioritization tool to look at the lower river.
How and Why?
With the focus shifting rapidly to the lower Yakima River, MCF has positioned itself to assist in the effort to figure out habitat, thermal refuge, and interfacing with private landowners. This effort will use multiple data sources to figure out the best riparian projects in the lower river. Using elevation, contiguous land use, tax parcel sizes, and area along the river with or without vegetation there will be a systematic approach to what projects should be elevated.
Thus far in the footprint of lower river restoration, there has been a few important and critical work done, however the massive lift that is the lower Yakima requires a huge investment. This investment will ensure previous work in the upper Yakima is successful since all anadromous fish use this section of the river twice (outmigration and spawning run).
