This week's report. . . .

Today we received the report from the State Auditor's Office on our Single Federal Audit for 2009.  This audit was required because we expended more than $500,000 in 2009.  The audit report states an "unqualified opinion".  Although it doesn't really sound like it, that's a good outcome for the audit.  It means that no "significant deficiencies" or "material weaknesses" were found.  If you'd like to read the report and see the Schedule of Federal Awards (federal grants to the KCCD) for 2009, click on the link below.
KCCD 2009 Single Federal Audit Report

We tried out the NYCD chipping crew on one of our firewise projects this week.  The crew worked in the Wagon Wheel area of the Middle Fork Teanaway.  They hauled about 20 yards of chips to a storage area where we can access them for our riparian planting projects.

The WCC crew feeding the chipper. . . it has the capacity for 12" diameter materials!

The rock weirs at the Keach-Jensen Diversion are as complete as they can be until the outside wall of the fish screen facility is poured.  Next week will be the beginning of excavation for the facility.  The first major pour is scheduled for early October.

Mike Garello (HDR), Don Shriner (KCCD), Brent Renfrow (WDFW) and Brandon Drexler (Belsaas & Smith) were on site today checking the elevations of the weirs that have been constructed so far.

AL

Keach-Jensen Construction and Site Tours

Construction of the rock weirs continues at Keach-Jensen.  The three lowermost weirs have been completed.  Another two weeks are needed for the remaining weirs.

HDR engineer Mike Garello works with Belsaas & Smith operators to construct the third of nine weirs on Manastash Creek below the Keach-Jensen Diversion.

Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife conducted a tour of project sites as part of Fish Screen & Passage Workshop.  The MWDA/Consolidated and Barnes Road diversion sites were both included in the tour, along with projects on Caribou, Cooke, Coleman, Wilson and Taneum Creeks.

WDFW tour participants watch as the air burst cleaning system is triggered at the MWDA/Consolidated Diversion on Manastash Creek.



Anna describes the Barnes Road diversion to the tour participants.



Larry Browne with Ellensburg Water Company describes the function of his diversion on Cooke Creek.  This structure was the first construction project under YTAHP in 2003.

AL

Keach-Jensen Construction- Rock Weirs

Construction of the rock weirs is officially underway at the Keach-Jensen (K-J) site on Manastash Creek.  These weirs will provide fish passage over the existing sill at the diversion site.

Two excavators preparing to build the rock weirs.

Placement of the first rock for the first weir.

The base of the first rock weir.

The Manastash Ditch diversion rock weirs that were constructed last year.  This is what K-J will look like in a few weeks!

AL

Manastash Creek. . . Keach-Jensen Construction Update

The Keach-Jensen fish screen and fish passage work is now underway.  The creek was diverted into a channel around the worksite so it could be dewatered for construction.  We did a fish recovery on Wednesday morning.  Over 100 rainbow trout, along with some brook trout and other smaller species were removed from the worksite and released back into the creek.  By Thursday afternoon, the existing headgates had been be removed and the concrete cutters were working on the right bank low flow notch that is being cut into the existing sill.

Next week should see the start of the rock weir construction in the creek.

The pool just upstream of the existing diversion was fairly deep and had lots of fish in it.  This is Sherry, Mark, Jen Scott (WDFW), Brent, and Kara McDaniel (NRCS).

We found a frog too!

Saw cutting the low flow notch on the right bank.  The fish screen facility will be on the left side of this photo.

AL