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 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 invited the water users to work in a collaborative process which would protect both threatened fish and the future of Manastash Creek related irrigated agriculture in Kittitas County. The collaborative efforts proceeded and a relationship of cooperation and trust between the parties has developed.  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 reconstructed so as to eliminate manmade barriers or impediments to fish passage and all unscreened diversions.  This work will involve some amount of consolidation of these diversions, the extent of which is still being determined.  The goal of Phase II is the restoration of more 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.

BPA has approximately  $1.5 million through the F&W program to address fish screening and passage at the Manastash diversions (Phase 1). Earlier efforts included a water conservation study that laid out conceptual plans for remedies to the fish passage problems, along with rough schematics and cost estimates.  This release with FishPro is to continue preliminary planning for the restoration effort, accomplish 30% design, and provide assistance with permitting.