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| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| July 27 | Ellensburg |
| August 18 | Yakima |
| September 15 | Ellensburg |
| October 20 | Yakima |
| November 17 | Ellensburg |
| December 15 | Yakima |
*Locations: Ellensburg - Kittitas County Fire Department, 102 N. Pearl St.
Yakima - USDA Service Center, 1606 Perry St.
Primary funding for the Program is from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) with additional project funding from the Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Washington Department of Ecology Water Quality Program, Community Salmon Funds, and other local, state and federal programs.
Dave Myra
YTAHP program manager
(509) 454-5743, x128
Carol Ready
YTAHP program staff
(509) 929-7323
Taneum Creek / Bruton Dam Removal - The restoration of salmon habitat and passage is the # 1 goal of the Yakima Tributary Access & Habitat Program (YTAHP), a committee of the South Central Wa. RC&D. This committee is made up of 4 conservation districts, Yakama Nation, Kittitas Cons. Trust, Yakima Basin Fish & Wildlife Recovery Board, WDFW, and others. In Kittitas County several fish barrier issues have been addressed through YTAHP funding and facilitation, the most recent being the Bruton Diversion.
The Bruton Diversion in Taneum Creek is an irrigation diversion that lies along I-90, west of Ellensburg. Taneum Creek is a tributary to the Yakima River located in Kittitas County. The Bruton Diversion has long been a barrier to fish migration and movement into the high quality habitat of the Taneum drainage, despite the earlier construction of a fish ladder which had never functioned well. Fish that have been impacted include Summer Steelhead and Bull Trout, both culturally important species to the Yakama Nation. Additional species benefiting include coho and resident trout. Members of YTAHP have been targeting this structure for over six years as a critical project to increase anadromous fish habitat in historical breeding and rearing habitat in the Yakima watershed.
“Removal of the Bruton Diversion is the result of the combined efforts of numerous partners,” said Dave Myra, manager of YTAHP RC&D program. “Staff worked on the ground with landowners in the project area to explain the benefits of the project and assist in implementing upgraded irrigation systems,” Myra said. “This is a great project on a tributary which is vital to salmonid recovery efforts in the Yakima River basin – and the participation of the RC&D was instrumental in making it happen.”
The Bureau of Reclamation was an invaluable partner in providing alternative water delivery to landowners to allow this project to move forward. The final removal of the dam and fish ladder, and reconstruction of the channel occurred throughout 2009. The final celebration tour took place on November 12th. All partners were present, including leaders from the Yakama Nation and the press. It was a hugely important and successful project, requiring a high level of collaboration and cooperation. In addition, the Kittitas Conservation Trust released adult coho salmon into the creek, the first to freely migrate upstream into Taneum Creek in more than 120 years.
“This is a unique project because of the large amount of habitat being opened and the diverse groups that came together to make it a success,” said David Gerth, RC&D Director and executive director of the Kittitas Conservation Trust. “A wide variety of people found common ground for this project. Opening up this habitat in the Taneum Creek watershed will help restore salmon species in the upper Yakima River basin.”
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Date
|
Minutes |
| May 2010 | Download [doc 350 KB] |
| April 2010 | Download [doc 657 KB] |
| March 2010 | Download [doc 348 KB] |
| February 2010 | Download [pdf 127 KB] |
| January 2010 | Download [pdf 38 KB] |
| December 2009 | Download [pdf 79 KB] |
| November 2009 | Download [pdf 398 KB] |
| October 2009 | Download [pdf 70 KB] |
| September 2009 | Download [pdf 72 KB] |
| August 2009 | Download [pdf 43 KB] |
| July 2009 | Download [pdf 33 KB] |
| May 2009 | Download [pdf 160 KB] |
| April 2009 | Download [pdf 73 KB] |
| March 2009 | Download [pdf 144 KB] |
| February 2009 | Download [pdf 39 KB] |
| January 2009 | Download [pdf 143 KB] |
| December 2008 | Download [pdf 52 KB] |
| November 2008 | Download [pdf 180 KB] |
| October 2008 | Download [pdf 124 KB] |
| September 2008 | Download [pdf 63 KB] |
| August 2008 | Download [pdf 58 KB] |
| June 2008 | Download [pdf 66 KB] |
| May 2008 | Download [pdf 76 KB] |
| April 2008 | Download [pdf 67 KB] |
Since 2001, YTAHP has worked to develop, design, permit, and construct more than 50 projects. Our accomplishments, as of 2008, have been:
Natural resources now and for the future!