Entiat National Fish Hatchery Floodplain Connectio

Following European settlement, human activities have greatly altered the lower Entiat River, though only qualitative or anecdotal information exists with which to compare present-day conditions. This project is located on the mainstem Entiat River at approximately RM 6.8 to 7.1. Localized channelization, removal of riparian vegetation, floodplain development, and dam building have perhaps been the most impactful anthropogenic activities in this reach. This project afforded a rare opportunity to address these issues over a significant length of river by attempting to return those missing elements of river function. A levee on the upstream portion of the property has disconnected the river from its right-bank floodplain, while large wood and natural, off-channel habitat are all but missing from the lower river. This project reactivated the Entiat National Fish Hatchery (ENFH) floodplain (or at least promoted a trajectory for improvement in the future) by removing much of this levee. In addition to levee removal, several acres of the site have been re-planted with native tree and shrub species and grasses. Future project phases will increase the amount of off-channel habitat and construct multiple LWD jams to further reactivate the ENFH floodplain. It is important to demonstrate the need and benefits of reach-scale, ecological process-driven restoration to Entiat landowners who have generally not embraced levee removal or LWD as a desirable technique for salmon recovery. In doing so, we hope to have shown the compatibility of floodplain infrastructure with floodplain restoration.

The goal of the project is to improve instream morphology and habitat in salmon bearing streams. The objective of the project is to increase instream cover, spawning, and resting areas.