Trout unlimited will work with an irrigation company the jones shotwell ditch company to replace an open earthen irrigation ditch with a pressurized pipe and remove the associated irrigation…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded a $1,250,000 Cooperative Agreement through the National Fish Passage Program (CFDA 15.685) to Trout Unlimited, Inc. to work with the Jones Shotwell Ditch Company in Wenatchee, WA. The project will replace an open earthen irrigation ditch with a pressurized pipe system and upgrade the associated pump station. This will improve water and energy use efficiency, enhance instream flows in 6.5 miles of the lower Wenatchee River by up to 15 cubic feet per second during the summer irrigation season, and eliminate warm tailwater returning to the river. The project aims to address thermal passage barriers that block migratory fish movement during low summer/fall flows. As the prime awardee, Trout Unlimited will oversee all elements including contracting with engineers and a construction company. The 3-year project is scheduled for completion by September 30, 2027.

Trout unlimited will work with an irrigation company the jones shotwell ditch company to replace an open earthen irrigation ditch with a pressurized pipe and remove the associated irrigation delivery pump station to make the system more efficient. TU will oversee all elements of the project including contracting with engineers to design the project and a construction company to install the pipe and upgrade the pump station. The project will result in a fully piped irrigation delivery system and a modernized pump station that operates on demand allowing more water to remain in the wenatchee river. The project will improve water and energy use efficiency for the jones shotwell ditch company which is one of the largest irrigation purveyors in the wenatchee river basin and enhance instream flows in 6.5 miles of the lower wenatchee river by up to 15 cubic feet per second throughout the summer irrigation season when stream flows and water temperatures are suboptimal for fish and wildlife. The project will also improve water quality by eliminating warm tailwater that returns to the river from the ditch after being exposed to agricultural chemicals. Additionally the project will help address a thermal passage barrier where high temperatures block migratory fish movement during the summer and fall caused by low stream flows in the lower wenatchee river.