U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Yakima
Newsletter

Keechelus Picket Weir

With the assistance of multiple agencies, USFWS installed and operated a picket weir from September 2 to October 27. Only one Bull Trout was captured during that time, a fish originally captured and released into Keechelus Reservoir in fall 2024. Antenna detections at the site suggest that few tagged Bull Trout were present upstream of the weir prior to its installation and that two tags were able to move above or below the weir, possibly indicating predation.

BOR Recovery

Staff assisted the Bureau of Reclamation with several fish recovery operations aimed at reducing the number of fish near irrigation infrastructure during the annual maintenance season, when canals and forebays dewater, leaving fish stranded or desiccated.

Staff also supported recovery efforts related to construction of the Cle Elum Dam Adult Collection Facility. This large-scale, multi-day operation resulted in the removal of hundreds of adult salmon and thousands of other native nongame fish from areas impacted by the construction.

Upper Basin Trap and Haul

Staff began trap and haul operations below Kachess and Keechelus Dams to relocate Bull Trout back into their respective reservoirs, allowing access to spawning habitat.

To date, one Bull Trout has been captured below Kachess Dam and two below Keechelus Dam. The fish captured below Kachess originated from the La Salle Rescue Rear Program and grew from 231 mm FL in 2022 to 621 mm FL, the largest recaptured La Salle fish to date.

Box Canyon Creek Flume

Staff assisted with the assembly and monitoring of the flume constructed in Box Canyon Creek during drought years. The flume consolidates flow into a single channel, providing sufficient depth for volitional Bull Trout passage.

Staff operated a submersible PIT antenna in the flume from September 30 to October 22. A total of eight Bull Trout were detected, all of which were identified as Kachess River origin.

New Antennas

Staff installed two new antenna systems. One was placed in the lower section of the upper Kachess River, replacing two existing submersible antennas with a single bank to bank flat plate design.

The second array was installed downstream of Tieton Dam with assistance from Zack Mays of the Yakama Nation. It consists of two rows of two flat plate antennas, plus an additional pass-through antenna in Wildcat Creek. The array will help evaluate Bull Trout movements and potential entrainment from Rimrock Reservoir.

SCA Crew Completion

Emma Meyer and Lauren Knitter completed their final day of work on October 24.

We thank them for their hard work and dedication throughout the season. Their contributions were instrumental in completing several critical tasks this year.