Reviving salmon in the Walla Walla River
As in
the neighboring Umatilla Basin, the Walla Walla River lost its
once-plentiful salmon runs early in the 20th Century but actions
are underway to reestablish this valuable resource.
The solution is being modeled after the successful Umatilla fisheries restoration program where cooperative grassroots efforts have successfully restored salmon after a 70-year absence and where agriculture interests have remained intact.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) is working to restore the subsistence, economic, religious and cultural values of salmon. This is being accomplished by working with, not against, the local agricultural community and others to cooperatively identify improvements and funding necessary for reestablishing salmon runs in the Walla Walla River.
Early in the 20th century, major impacts occurred to salmon habitat due to water diversion structures, reduction of flows, stream channelization and various developments adjacent to streams. Until recently, very little was being done to address improvements for the rebuilding of fisheries resources in the Walla Walla Basin.
A comprehensive program is being implemented which includes removal or laddering of diversion structures, screening of irrigation canals, irrigation ditch consolidation and conservation, instream flow enhancement, stream habitat enhancement and hatchery actions. The program will benefit spring chinook salmon, and ESA-listed summer steelhead and bull trout.
Structural fish passage improvements have included the removal of Marie Dorian Dam on the upper mainstem Walla Walla River and Maiden Dam on the lower Touchet River. New fish ladders and screens at Burlingame and Little Walla Walla diversions and a new ladder at Nursery Bridge Dam have recently been completed.
In addition, fish passage improvements at Hofer Dam on the Touchet River are scheduled in the near future. Bonneville Power Administration has provided most funding for passage improvements.
Flow enhancement efforts for the near term include water conservation and ditch consolidations with saved water remaining instream. Through agreements with the federal government, major irrigation districts have consented to leave minimum instream flows to sustain fisheries in critical reaches which traditionally have been dewatered. Additional flow improvements are being sought through a CTUIR sponsored feasibility study, a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as through a basin-wide Habitat Conservation Plan. The feasibility phase of the project is nearing completion with anticipated Congressional authorization in 2007.
Potential flow restoration measures include additional irrigation efficiency and ditch consolidation projects, purchase of water rights from willing sellers, and off-channel storage coupled with water exchange. Shallow aquifer recharge is also being explored.
Numerous stream channel and riparian habitat improvement efforts are being implemented by state fish and wildlife agencies, local conservation districts, the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council and CTUIR. Efforts are also being made to reduce soil erosion and sediment yield from farmed land.
The CTUIR is proposing to expand its current fish facility on South Fork Walla Walla River to a full-scale hatchery to produce spring Chinook salmon for release into the river.
With the near pristine habitat in many headwater locations and the multitude of flow and fish passage efforts ongoing in the mid to lower basin, it is believed that salmon will be able to once again migrate and thrive following hatchery reintroduction.
Beginning in 2000, the CTUIR and ODFW released surplus adult spring chinook into the Walla Walla River to begin reintroduction and conduct monitoring to track success and guide future fish management. In 2004, the Walla Walla Basin enjoyed almost 300 spring Chinook returns from the adult outplanting efforts. It was the first time in eighty years that Chinook returned to the Basin. In 2005 the CTUIR released 250,000 Chinook smolts.
The neighboring Umatilla Basin Project serves as a model for how people can resolve water and salmon conflicts cooperatively and peacefully without major impact to the agricultural economy.
The Walla Walla Fisheries Restoration Program is using this momentum and proven know-how to duplicate the success and benefits for all involved interests.
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