The overall program to restore and enhance ESA-listed summer steelhead and spring Chinook populations and habitat in Salmon Creek, a tributary to the Okanogan River, has many sub-elements that address two limiting factors for anadromous fish: lack of instream flow and channel conditions that inhibit fish passage. We propose to undertake projects in these two categories. In addition, we propose to conduct regulatory compliance activities tied to these projects, specifically NEPA and SEPA, in order to prepare an EIS. Further, we propose to develop a Stream Management and Recovery Plan in order to adaptively manage the projects we propose to undertake as well as to monitor and evaluate measurable improvements to habitat productivity and populations in Salmon Creek.Our goal is to provide instream flows in Salmon Creek that satisfy the year-round life cycle requirements of anadromous fish, currently prohibited by the Okanogan Irrigation District?s (OID) withdrawals of 100% of the stream flow 4.3 miles above the mouth of Salmon Creek. It is also our goal to meet the seasonal water needs of the OID. Previous studies indicate that in order to satisfy the needs of fish and irrigators, additional sources of water need to be provided, specifically 7,122-9,737 af per year. These same studies identified projects that would provide this additional water supply through water conservation, by upgrading the OID?s existing facilities and constructing new facilities.
