Mission Creek Protection Phase 1

The Chelan-Douglas Land trust will acquire a perpetual conservation easement on approximately 40 acres between RM 4.1 and 4.9 of Mission Creek and adjacent to Mission Creek Road.  The goal is to preserve this land after removal of the orchard and two associated irrigation diversions. The orchard will be removed by the owners at their cost, and with this grant, the property will be permanently protected from development. The property supports listed spring chinook and steelhead, as well as non-listed Coho and Lamprey.  Protection and potential future restoration will benefit spawning, fry colonization and winter rearing. The landowners will allow foot access as well as educational and scientific study.  The landowners and CDLT will work with salmon recovery partners on future restoration possibilities.

The primary goal of the project is a conservation easement on 40 acres of former agricultural land including over a mile and a half of steambank, measured on both sides of Mission Creek. After sale of their irrigation water, the landowners will remove the diversions and orchards (not funded by this grant). CDLT will acquire the conservation easement on vacant land in 2026. The landowners and CDLT are committed to future restoration after the CE is acquired. Based on the Upper Columbia information prioritization, both removal of the agriculture and future restoration can provide significant improvements to stream flow, temperature, vegetative cover, floodplain connection and off channel habitat to benefit salmon at multiple life stages.