Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group

Mid-Columbia Fisheries has educated just over 2,000 people already in 2013. Our most recent education events included Salmon Education Days with Ellensburg School District 5th grade students and Salmon Summit with Tri-Cities School District 4th and 5th grade students. Below are a few pictures from the events!

Visit our Facebook page to see what else we’ve been up to!

Teanaway River landowners and other interested stakeholders are invited to a meeting to discuss the proposed Teanaway Forks Large Wood Trapping project on Friday, March 29. The meeting will be held from 2pm to 4pm at the Swauk-Teanaway Grange Hall, located at 1361 W. Ballard Hill Road, Cle Elum, WA 98922.

Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group and AMEC, Inc. will share the preliminary designs for wood trapping structures on the West and North Fork Teanaway Rivers on land managed by American Forest Land Company, LLC, located more than one river mile above other private land. Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of the project proponents and design engineer, and to offer suggestions for enhancing fish habitat in the river forks.

The locations of the proposed large wood trapping structures are displayed on this map . Additional project information can be found under the “what we do” tab and hovering over “instream habitat improvement”. You may also email us for further information about the project or the meeting.

Mid-Columbia Fisheries had two clean-up projects in February.

On February 11th the Yakima WCC crew removed 3,160 pounds of Common Mullein, a non-native weed, in preparation for further maintenance at the Lamas project site on Cowiche Creek in Yakima. The Lamas project took place in 2010 and included of the removal of dikes, debris, garbage, riprap, and a building. The riparian area was planted with native trees and shrubs and the floodplain was seeded with native grasses. Maintenance at the project site is ongoing.

The second project on February 12th was a pet waste clean-up volunteer work party at Irene Rinehart Park, a popular recreation area in Ellensburg. Picking up pet waste is very important to our environment. When pet waste is not cleaned up, it can be picked up by stormwater runoff and accumulated in stormdrains or nearby waterbodies. Since many stormdrains do not connect to treatment facilities, untreated animal feces often end up in lakes and streams, causing significant water pollution. Mid-Columbia Fisheries staff and volunteers picked up approximately 40 pounds of dog poop along the Yakima River in one hour during the work party.

Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities and be sure to like us on Facebook!

The e3 Winter Fair is upcoming on January 26! e3 showcases booths from 30 local organizations, non-profits, and businesses. Each booth describes the ways in which the business, agency, or non-profit organization is supporting and enhancing our community’s economic, environmental and educational well being. This is a free, family friendly event. Come see the Mid-Columbia Fisheries booth and other great organizations!

Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group’s annual report is now available. Check it out by clicking the “what we do” tab and learn about all the exciting things that happened in the 2012 fiscal year!

Teanaway River landowners and other interested stakeholders are invited to a meeting to discuss the proposed Teanaway Forks Large Wood Trapping project on Friday, November 2, from 3pm to 5pm in the Swauk-Teanaway Grange Hall.  The locations of the proposed  large wood trapping structures are displayed on this map .  Please email us for more information about the project or the meeting.

Visit the Sprint Gallery at the White Salmon Library throughout the month of September to view amazing pieces of art created specifically to commemorate the return of steelhead to the White Salmon River.  Proceeds from the sale will support habitat restoration in the White Salmon River.  More information, including a catalog of artwork, can be found here.

Mid-Columbia Fisheries is sponsoring the Bull Trout Task Force this year. Find out additional information and like us on Facebook!

This remarkable 16 foot salmon was created by Betsy Petrick and Leslie Nuckoles. Thank you artists!

Mid-Columbia Fisheries is seeking technical assistance for the following projects:

1. Yakima Tributary Large Wood Replenishment Environmental Analysis,
2. Teanaway Forks Large Wood Trapping Design,
3. Lower Cowiche Creek Floodplain Restoration Modeling and Design, and
4. Buck Creek Large Wood Risk Assessment.

The first three projects are all funded by the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board and other partners, while the fourth project is in development.  Please visit the Contractor Information page for the full RFQ and Appendices.  Summaries of qualifications from interested firms are requested by April 9, 2012.