Project partners celebrate completion of Lower Peshastin Creek restoration

Cascade Fisheries Executive Director Jason Lundgren speaks during the Oct. 30 celebration.

TAYLOR CALDWELL/WARD MEDIA

Cascade Fisheries Project Manager Aaron Rosenblum cuts a ceremonial ribbon across the new channel on Peshastin Creek.

TAYLOR CALDWELL/WARD MEDIA

Water flows around log jams and other obstacles in the new channel.

TAYLOR CALDWELL/WARD MEDIA

Native plants were also planted across the site.

TAYLOR CALDWELL/WARD MEDIA

Mary Monahan of Washington State Department of Ecology speaks about the lead remediation completed during the project.

TAYLOR CALDWELL/WARD MEDIA

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PESHASTIN — On Oct. 30, fisheries biologists and project stakeholders celebrated the profound transformation of Lower Peshastin Creek, which underwent significant lead remediation and habitat restoration work over the past year.

Led by Cascade Fisheries, the project rehabilitated the portion of Peshastin Creek that flows along the Dryden Dam public access site and into the Wenatchee River. The project removed and recycled over 2,000 pounds of lead shot from the nearby Dryden Gun Club, restored a historic river channel, and enhanced a critical cold water refuge for threatened fish.

“Projects like Peshastin Creek offer a glimmer of hope for salmon and steelhead that make the long journey home. We're 500 miles from the Pacific Ocean. We're trying to give them the best chance they can for survival,” said Cascade Fisheries Executive Director Jason Lundgren during the ceremony.

According to the Washington Department of Ecology, Peshastin Creek is approximately two degrees Celsius cooler than the Wenatchee River. It’s not only an important spawning and rearing site for natal fish, but its cold water provides refuge for fish coming from the Wenatchee River, especially when temperatures rise.

“[Salmon are] indicators of environmental health, an environment that we all rely on too. The clean water, plentiful water, clean air, healthy forest, and riparian areas – these aren't just things fish need. We all need them too. Our kids need them. Our grandkids need them,” said Lundgren.

While Peshastin Creek has been identified as a vital habitat, human activities have significantly altered its shape and function. The construction of Highway 97 shortened the creek by a mile and restricted connectivity to more than one-third of its floodplain. In 1975, the dam access road cut off a historic channel at the confluence of the Wenatchee River, forcing it to flow through a more direct secondary channel. Over the past year, Cascade Fisheries rebuilt this historic primary channel, adding natural features that slowed and spread the water, expanding the riparian area and creating deep pools for fish.

The project established 1,100 feet of new primary channel and restored 800 feet of the existing secondary channel, resulting in an increase of 3.7 acres of aquatic habitat during high spring flows. The work involved excavating about 21,000 cubic yards of material, and adding 34 engineered log jams and 16 floodplain roughness features. A wood fence and trail were built along the new channel, with native plants placed where gravel and leadshot once was.

The project was supported by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), which manages the public access site, with funding from the Department of Ecology, Bonneville Power Administration, Salmon Recovery Funding Board, and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

“This project is an illustration of collaboration and what the outcome is,” said Brock Hoenes, North Central Regional Director for WDFW.

According to Cascade Fisheries, the project brought $160,000 to local contractors, $60,000 to local businesses, and generated $80,000 in local sales tax.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media