Cascade Fisheries (CF) will initiate a design process to complete a habitat restoration project at the Goodwin Side Channel Site (GSC). The initial design goals for this restoration project are: 1. Improve rearing habitat in the GSC by increasing connection to groundwater; 2. improve floodplain connectivity and access to GSC rearing habitat by increasing surface water connectivity, while not diminishing the benefit provided by groundwater; 3. improve riparian habitat condition over 1 acre of the floodplain of the GSC; 4. design the project to protect and preserve existing mature native riparian forest. Goals, objectives, and methods will be refined by the project design team as we progress through the design process.

Initially, an alternatives analysis will be conducted where  conceptual alternatives that all meet the high level project goals, but with different methods and metrics, will be developed. The design team will choose the most suitable alternative to advance to the next design stage. Data and information collected during the assessment phase will inform the project designs. After a preferred alternative is choose, the designs will be progressed to 15% (conceptual) and 30% (preliminary). At each design phase, Cascade Fisheries will consult with BPA and project stakeholders to gather feedback that will be incorporated into the next design phase.

The project area occurs on 10.75 acres on the left bank floodplain of the Wenatchee River starting at RM 11.15 and ending at RM 11.5. The project falls within the Wenatchee River Ollala 01 reach of the Wenatchee River – Ollala Canyon Assessment Unit within the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Region’s prioritization scheme. This Assessment Unit is listed as a tier 1 priority for Steelhead restoration. At the reach scale, winter rearing is listed as a high priority life stage for both spring chinook and steelhead, while summer rearing is a medium priority life stage for steelhead. The highest ranking limiting factors for this reach are cover-wood and off-channel/side-channel habitat, and the second highest ranking limiting factor is floodplain connectivity.

The current habitat benefit of the existing side channel is limited by its infrequent surface water connection with the mainstem. From 2000-2020, the side channel was connected (at or above 8,000 CFS) for an average of only 36 days a year. This connection overwhelmingly occurred during spring freshet, and the side channel is inaccessible during the critical summer and winter rearing months.

The proposed restoration project improves floodplain connectivity and frequency of fish access to the Goodwin Side Channel, which addresses the highest-ranking species, life stages, and limiting factors for this reach of the Wenatchee River.