Teanaway- 3M Ditch Project

The Kittitas Conservation District decommissioned the 3M Ditch, a gravity irrigation diversion on the Teanaway River, by helping 6 landowners convert to alternative irrigation supplies. The goal of the project was to provide fish passage and improved instream flow to the Teanaway River during the irrigation season (May 15 to September 15). The 3M Ditch was the largest and one of the last gravity diversions on the mainstem of the Teanaway River in Kittitas County. Prior to the project, the 3M Ditch water users had a diversion that required a gravel push-up dam in the river. During summer months, the push-up berm could be a significant barrier to fish passage. In addition,low flows in this reach impacted both fish passage and stream temperature. The Teanaway River has suitable spawning gravels and gradients for spring Chinook, steelhead, and coho.

Improving instream flow through conservation practices and water acquisition is a key activity to address these issues. The project involved decommissioning the gravity diversion, converting landowners to a different system of withdrawing and/or applying their irrigation water, and/or facilitating the opportunity to work with the Washington Water Trust to enroll in the Trust Water Rights Program (note that water trusting has and will continue to occur outside this grant).

The goal of the project is to connect isolated habitat to increase the range and distribution of salmon. The objective of the project is to increase access to areas blocked by human-caused impediments.


The goal of the project is to increase and/or maintain adequate flows for wild salmon. The objective of the project is to reduce waste of appropriated water.