The chelan county natural resources department (category a applicant), in partnership with yakama nation fisheries, will advance designs and complete environmental compliance tasks for a large-scale…

The Bureau of Reclamation, through its Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program (CFDA 15.580), awarded $1.24 million to Chelan County Natural Resources Department on August 5, 2025, for design advancement and environmental compliance activities supporting a large-scale instream and floodplain restoration project in the lower Chiwawa River and Big Meadow Creek in Washington's Wenatchee Basin. In partnership with Yakama Nation Fisheries, the project will develop detailed engineering designs and complete necessary environmental permitting and compliance work across eight project areas in the lower 13 river-miles of the Chiwawa River and lower 0.2 river-miles of Big Meadow Creek. The deliverables will establish process-based restoration techniques including wood loading and side-channel creation designed to restore complex pool-riffle habitat, increase floodplain connectivity, and enhance subsurface groundwater storage to address chronic baseflow limitations and elevated stream temperatures.

The project represents the advancement phase of a collaborative, multi-phase restoration effort to address limiting factors identified in the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Plan and support recovery of Endangered Species Act-listed spring chinook, steelhead, and bull trout populations in a critical regional stronghold. Beyond fisheries habitat objectives, the restoration designs will enhance climate change resilience and support agricultural and municipal water uses in this major irrigation basin. The project is scheduled for completion by September 30, 2027, consistent with the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program's emphasis on collaboratively developed projects with widespread regional benefits that address water resources management across multiple stakeholder interests.

The chelan county natural resources department (category a applicant), in partnership with yakama nation fisheries, will advance designs and complete environmental compliance tasks for a large-scale instream and floodplain restoration project in the lower 13 river-miles (RMS) of the chiwawa river, and the lower 0.2 RMS of big meadow creek, a major chiwawa tributary. The chiwawa is one of twelve major sub-watersheds in the wenatchee basin in chelan county, washington, and supports a major irrigation district and several community water systems. The upper chiwawa river is a critical stronghold for ESA-listed species recovery of spring chinook, steelhead, and bull trout, and supports the majority of ESA-listed spring chinook and bull trout spawning in the entire wenatchee basin. However, conditions in the lower chiwawa project area such as chronically low baseflows, homogeneous, plane-bed habitat with limited large wood, and high stream temperatures - threaten this stronghold. These limiting factors were identified in the upper columbia salmon recovery plan, which also identifies the lower chiwawa as a tier 1 restoration priority for ESA-listed species recovery. The proposed project is the next step in a multi-phase, collaborative, and data driven effort to identify specific projects that address these limiting factors, restore habitat and support ESA-listed persistence in this critical wenatchee basin stronghold. Furthermore, by substantially increasing floodplain connection and sub-surface groundwater storage, the implementation of the proposed designs will target root causes of limited baseflows, thus supporting agricultural and municipal uses, as well as community and habitat climate change resilience, in this major agricultural basin. Conceptual preliminary designs within the eight (8) project areas include process-based restoration techniques such as wood loading and side-channel creation, specifically designed to RE-form complex pool-riffle habitat, trigger lateral channel movement, and result in substantial increases in habitat diversity and sub-surface water storage to support baseflows, wetlands, and riparian habitat. The project is on both private and federal USFS lands, and is part of the USFS work plan for the okanogan-wenatchee national forest detailed budget estimate and narrative. Indirect cost rate agreement included.