Manastash Project
Background Information: Manastash Project, Phase I
Manastash Creek is an important Yakima River tributary, which drains a 100-square mile watershed in Kittitas County lying west of Ellensburg, Washington. Approximately 30 miles of potential high-quality salmonid habitat remains in the upper portions of the watershed, which lie primarily within the Wenatchee National Forest.
On March 25, 1999, NMFS listed the Middle Columbia River Basin steelhead ESU as "threatened," effective May 24, 1999. 64 Fed. Reg. 14,517. This ESU includes the Yakima River and its tributaries. On February 16, 2000, NMFS designated the Yakima River and its tributaries as critical habitat for Middle Columbia River steelhead. 65 Fed. Reg. 7779.
In May 2000, the Manastash Ditch Water Users became the first of many private diverters in Kittitas County, to request financial and technical assistance from the KCCD to address fish screening and passage issues. In response to those requests, the KCCD performed surveys (both general informational surveys and professional topographic surveys) on five diversion structures on Manastash Creek.
The KCCD was also able to utilize regional engineering assistance from Paul Cleary (Central Klickitat Conservation District) to perform both the topographic surveys and to begin designing and engineering screen and passage structures for these sites. This work continued through March of 2003 and involved numerous consultations with Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) and NOAA Fisheries engineers.
While the technical assistance was provided to the diverters, the KCCD and the Kittitas County Water Purveyors (KCWP) began searching for funds to construct and implement the screening and passage structures.
In February 2001, the Washington Environmental Council (WEC) sent the WDFW, and the largest private water users on Manastash Creek, the Kittitas Reclamation District (KRD) and the Westside Irrigating Company (Westside) a draft notice of intent to sue under Section 11(g) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), 16 U.S.C. § 1540(g). The draft notice alleged that continued operation of the six irrigation diversions on Manastash Creek would result in an unlawful "take" of threatened steelhead under Section 9 of the ESA, 16 U.S.C. 1538(a). The WEC contended that prior to the advent of irrigated agriculture; Manastash Creek produced steelhead, coho and spring chinook salmon. WEC asserted the main factors limiting anadromous fish production in Manastash Creek were barriers to passage presented by four irrigation diversion dams, six associated unscreened diversions (Manastash, Jensen, Keach, Reed, Anderson and Barnes Road) which entrain juvenile fish, and the diversion of the entire stream flow during the summer/early fall irrigation season between stream miles 1.5 and 4.9. In 1990, Manastash Creek was rated by the Bureau of Reclamation as "Category II," meaning that "flows, access and habitat would be adequate with improvements that are technically feasible within 10 years." Yakima/Klickitat Production Project at 4-3.
The draft notice was accompanied by a cover letter inviting the water users to work with WEC in a collaborative process which would protect both threatened fish and the future of irrigated agriculture in Kittitas County. The parties met initially on March 1, 2001, and agreed to move forward with a collaborative process to address the issues raised in WEC's draft notice. These collaborative efforts proceeded and a relationship of cooperation and trust between the parties has developed. That relationship is the result of the WEC and the irrigators, even though they had different positions, agreement to recognize and respect each others goals. The WEC's goal is to eliminate fish passage barriers, eliminate unscreened diversions and improve instream flows. The irrigators' goal is to cooperate in the improvement of fish habitat on Manastash Creek while at the same time remaining whole and being able to manage and operate their land and water rights as a viable agricultural enterprise.
A conceptual watershed restoration plan is the fruit of these many months of collaborative efforts. That plan includes two phases. In Phase I, the major water diversions on Manastash Creek will be consolidated and reconstructed so as to eliminate manmade barriers or impediments to fish passage and all unscreened diversions. The goal of Phase II is the restoration of natural summer/fall flows in the lower part of Manastash Creek while at the same time protecting the vested water rights of the Manastash Creek water users.
The collaborative work on Manastash Creek resulted in two funding sources to implement solutions. The first was awarded to WDFW in 2002 by the Bonneville Power Administration. It includes over 1 million to address fish screening and passage at the Manastash diversions. The second is an appropriation by the 2003 Washington State Legislature totaling $2.24 million to address "Phase I" of the "PROTECTING AND RESTORING ANADROMOUS FISH IN MANASTASH CREEK- A COLLABORATIVE WATERSHED RESTORATION PLAN". News Release
October 7, 2003
Unique Partnership Between Environmentalists and Farmers:
Manastash Creek Restoration Project Launched
Ellensburg, WA - Bucking the trends of water wars in the west, local farmers and environmentalists announced today that they are moving forward with a win-win solution for restoring the Manastash Creek near Ellensburg. The plan is designed to protect threatened fish in the creek by screening water diversions, eliminating passage barriers and restoring stream flows, while ensuring irrigated agriculture and water right holders on the creek remain whole.
Local irrigators, state agencies, the Yakama Nation and the Washington Environmental Council (WEC) successfully transformed a possible conflict over the Endangered Species Act (ESA) into a positive collaborative process. Following two years of effort, the steering committee announced today the hiring of a project manager and the formal launching of the restoration project.
"It has been a long and sometimes trying process, but the steering committee has been successful in moving forward with a common goal, while building trust," said Dave Duncan of High Valley Ranch.
Jay Manning, President of the WEC, added, "This project is about making real, on-the-ground improvements to conserve water, protect fish habitat, all the while maintaining water use for farmers."
The Manastash water users recognized the problems of fish passage and screening and had been in discussions with Kittitas County Conservation District (KCCD) since 2000. WEC's letter with a draft notice of intent to sue for "take" under the ESA in early 2001 provided a catalyst for action. That letter resulted in a meeting in March of 2001 leading to a two-year collaborative process that has culminated in development of a restoration plan backed by $2.24 million from the 2003 Legislature. This is in addition to $300,000 appropriated in the 2002 state budget, funding that was championed by State Rep. Bruce Chandler (R-15). The 2002 funding supports a groundwater study to assess water management options.
The $2.24 million appropriation would not have been possible without the efforts of State Rep. Hinkle (R-13). "Anytime we can get ranchers and environmentalists to agree on common sense solutions to conflicts, that's a good thing. We can prove that farming and fish recovery can go hand-in-hand. It's a model type of agreement that we should encourage," said the Rep. Hinkle.
KCCD has been called on to administer the legislative funds. The KCCD has local knowledge, non-regulatory status and a history of voluntary approaches to implement of conservation practices. The KCCD has engaged Carol Ready as the Project Manager.
"The collaborative process brought the funds needed and we are ready and willing to work with farmers and WEC to be part of the solution," said Anna Lael, District Manager for KCCD.
Phase I of the restoration plan calls for the major water diversions on Manastash Creek to be consolidated and reconstructed so as to eliminate all barriers and impediments to fish passage and all unscreened diversions. In addition to the funds from the legislature, the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife has a $1 million grant from the Bonneville Power Administration to assist in the construction of the consolidated fish screen.
The second phase of the project will work toward improving the instream flow in Manastash Creek during the summer/fall irrigation season to protect fish and vested water rights.
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