Nason Creek Confluence Habitat Enhancement

This project occurred on the Nason Creek fan in the floodplain at the confluence of Nason Creek and the Wenatchee River. The project is located on river right as you walk downstream.

The goal of providing cool, complex, and perennial peripheral and transitional habitat for juvenile spring Chinook and steelhead on lower Nason Creek was achieved. The project constructed 0.12 miles of complex peripheral and transitional side-channel habitat, which will be available to fish throughout the year. The channel successfully intercepts hyporheic flow, which will likely result in increased thermal buffering of surface water temperatures during critical low flow periods. Large wood structures were installed to provide cover and hydraulic complexity. The disturbed construction area was restored with native riparian plantings.

This project restored perennial side channel and wood cover complexity habitat in the Nason Creek alluvial fan system to increase and improve rearing habitat conditions for juvenile anadromous fish.