John Arum Dedication

We took a break from the flood recovery and project implementation on Friday to honor our friend John Arum.  It was a great opportunity to reflect on the work that has been completed in the last decade on Manastash Creek.  We were so pleased that John's family joined us, including his wife, mother, father, stepmother, sister, brother and sister-in-law, as well as many of his friends.  We had the opportunity to share with them the details of the project and it's importance to everyone involved. 

The Dedication Event began at the Washington Cattlemen's office in Ellensburg.  This was not just a convenient location, but the location of the very first meeting between the parties involved in the project.  Many members of the Steering Committee (past and present) shared their memories of John and how he worked with everyone involved.  John came into the Manastash prepared to pursue litigation on behalf of the Washington Environmental Council, but at the same time asking for collaboration.   Over the years, John became so familiar with the watershed and the issues and built such a level of trust, one of the irrigators stated that if he couldn't be at a meeting, John could speak for him.  Another Steering Committee member said that after working for so long on the project, it became difficult to tell who's side John was on, the fish or the irrigators.  Yet another Steering Committee member said, "whoever taught John to fight, did it well and whoever taught him to be a peacemaker did it equally well." 

After a light lunch, we took the more than 30 attendees out to the MWDA site so that they could see the on-the-ground impacts of all of the meetings and discussions over the last 10 years.

Three of these plaques were installed, one at each of the fish screen sites.  The plaques were provided by the Manastash Creek Irrigators, Ecology, BPA, HDR Engineering, the KCCD, and the American Water Resources Association.

Dale Bambrick (third from left), National Marine Fisheries Services, explains the MWDA fish screen facility to John's family.

   

HDR's Mike Garello (right), explains the MWDA facility as (right to left) Jeff Tayer (WDFW), Dale Bamrick (NMFS) and Bob Arum (John's father), listen.

The group watches as the screen's air burst cleaning system is triggered.

KCCD's Sherry Swanson talks with irrigator Dave Duncan and BPA grant manager Jay Marcotte at the MWDA site.

Larry Bland (Keach-Jensen irrigator) and Sherry

  

HDR's Mike Garello discusses the Keach-Jensen diversion with John's friends.

Left, Jeff Tayer (WDFW) talks about the Manastash Project with Brian Gruber (center).  Brian is an attorney who worked closely with John.

HDR's Gus Garcia (right) talks with Susan (center) and Liz (left), John's wife and sister, about the Keach-Jensen facility.

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Floods

Since the last post, we've experienced two flood events.  The first was March 31 through April 2nd.  That event was minor compared the second event, which is still ongoing today.  Over the weekend the area had more than 2 inches of rain and some serious snow melt.  The impacts won't be fully known until the waters recede which may not occur until at least later this week. Some rough estimates place this event in the 100 year category, particularly in the Taneum and Manastash watersheds.Here are a few pictures from our project sites.

Manastash Creek at Cove Road- looking upstream.

Barnes Road diversion facility.

Keach-Jensen diversion facility.

Keach -Jensen diversion facility.  Standing behind the building looking toward the head gates and then upstream in the creek.  Hopefully damage is limited to some erosion and deposition and the automation equipment and air burst system are okay.

MWDA/Consolidated Diversion.  Facility was shut down, but water overtopped and filled the forebay.  Note the water running over the back wall into the structure.  Again, hopefully the damage is limited to erosion and will require some clean-up but not major repairs.



Floodwaters on the south side of the 2000 block of Hanson Road.



Cherry Creek at Moe Road.  This is near the peak, although the water did come up a bit higher.  At the lower diversion site, the water actually overtopped the left bank.

Floodwaters near Wilson Creek at Thrall Road.  The creek channel proper is out of the photo to the right.

Teanaway River at Red Bridge Road.

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Busy Week Underway. . . .

It's busy as usual around our office.  We have two special Board meetings planned this week. The first is Thursday morning at 9AM. The Board and staff will be reviewing the 2010 financial report and Schedule 22. Schedule 22 is the new Annual Questionnaire for Audit Assessment created by the Conservation Commission and the State Auditor's office.  The second meeting is Friday at 2 PM to review the status of the Cherry Creek project.  The project is moving forward, but has encountered some challenges in the last few weeks.

This week, we are also beginning to wrap up our election season. We've just issued our notice of automatic re-election of Ron Gibb pursuant to WAC 135-110-370. Ron was the incumbent and the only applicant who filed bythe deadline for the position. So, no poll site, absentee balloting, or mail balloting will be performed on March 17, 2011. Notice of the Automatic Re-election will be posted atthe polling sites (Cle Elum Senior Center, County Courthouse, and the KCCD office) and published in the Daily Record and Upper Kittitas County Tribune. March will bring the end of election season, as any applications for appointed position on our Board are due to the Washington Conservation Commission. Applications are available on our website and are due to the Commission by March 31, 2011. For further information, please contact the KCCD at 509-925-8585, ext. 4.

Construction continues both at Cherry Creek and at Keach-Jensen on Manastash Creek.  This week should bring some more testing and start up work at Keach-Jensen and a big push to complete the rock weirs at the lower Cherry Creek diversion site.  Alsok, last week some follow-up work at the MWDA/Consolidated Diversion occurred.  There have been some issues with controls and the low pressure blower over the winter season and a team of technicians and project staff worked on addressing those issues.  While that was happening, WDFW maintenance staff took advantage of the site dewatering to sluice out the built up silt.

Nearly 1,000 feet of 24" pipeline are part the project at Cherry Creek.  As of the end of last week, approximately two thirds of it was completed.

Two concrete manholes are part of the new piping system.  They were set yesterday, and the pipeline connecting them (that goes under Cherry Creek) was installed.

This photo is a great shot of the rock weirs at Keach-Jensen after a bit of snow late last week.

The project engineer, contractor and service technicians for the controls watch as the forebay is filled for the first time.  The fish screen is the inclined panel on the left side of the forebay.

While the MWDA site was dewatered for the work on the low pressure blower, WDFW maintenance staff sluiced out the silt that had built up last year.

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Manastash Construction Update

Keach-Jensen is moving right along!  The outside wall is complete, as are the rock weirs and the fish bypass pipe. The work continues on the outlet portions of the structures.

Forming the slab for the Keach Ditch outlet

Forming the slab for the Jensen Ditch outlet

 

Pouring the slab for the Jensen Ditch outlet



Finishing the rock weirs after the outside wall was completed.



The MWDA/Consolidated Diversion had a few punch list items left, including a security fence.  The fence is now installed. Other remaining items include a debris boom in front of the headgates and work on the programing the automation.

The security fence was completed at the MWDA/Consolidated Diversion.

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Fish Surveys in the Manastash

On Friday, WDFW and KCCD staff conducted 2 fish surveys in Manastash Creek.  The sites were Manastash Creek upstream of Barnes Road and Manastash Creek upstream of the MWDA diversion.  It was a beautiful day and there were lots of fish!  At the lower site, there were lots of spring chinook salmon, rainbow trout and sculpin.  At MWDA, there were rainbow trouts (the biggest was about 10" long) and sculpin. Thanks to Jennifer Scott and William Meyer (both with WDFW) for their work!

Jen Scott  identifies and measures all fish collected during the survey at Barnes Road and places them in the cooler before releasing them back in the stream.  The landowner (left) was very interested in what was collected. 

Anna and Brent are ready to net the fish that Jen finds with the electrofisher.  Ryan is in the background with the bucket to collect the netted fish. 

William Meyer (WDFW) worked up the fish found at the MWDA site.  There were only two species found, rainbow trout like this one and sculpins.

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Manastash

TOUR OF THE NEW FACILITIES CONDUCTED!

Yesterday, the Manastash Creek Restoration Project Steering Committee conducted their quarterly meeting. Afterwards, we did a tour of both the Barnes Road and the MWDA/Consolidated diversions. It was great to be able to show the Committee those facilities up and running after so many years of work!

HDR engineer Mike Garello described the facilities and explained the control panels which allow the irrigators to set flow rates and airburst intervals. At each site, we manually set off the airburst system that cleans the screens. Any debris is blown off of the screen and carried back to the stream through the fish bypass.


Here are some photos of the tour and even a video of the airburst test at the MWDA/Consolidated site.

That's me (Anna) in the building, pressing the button to set off the airburst for the Steering Committee. Yahoo!

And, here is the airburst.

Mike Garello (far left) explains the control panel at MWDA to Steering Committee members.

This is a video of the Steering Committee members watching as the airburst is set off at the MWDA/Consolidated Diversion .

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Manastash

The Manastash Water Ditch Association/Consolidated diversion is coming together. The mechanical building is up and WDFW has installed the fish screens and is working on the handrails and walkways. The plumbers and electricians are installing the automated control system and the air burst system.

This is a great shot shows the facility and the rock weirs in the creek at MWDA.

At Barnes Road, the facility has been accepted as "substantially complete" by the Board of Supervisors. There is a punch list of remaining items, so all the work is not quite done yet. Start-up and training should happen next week.

Barnes Road (3/11) - Almost done!

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Manastash

At the Barnes Road diversion, water was allowed through the facility in order to observe the function of the fishway. Adjustments continue to be dicussed by the project engineer and WDFW. It was interesting to see the facility with the fish screens submerged and the fishway operating. We're just a few steps from actual start-up and testing of the fish screen, air burst and automated gate systems.

The fish screens were submerged (foreground) and the fishway was operating yesterday. This fishway actually has rock in parts of it, which is a new technique for this area.

At the MWDA/Consolidated diversion, the facility is coming together rapidly. The CMU block eqiupment building was constructed last Friday, and the trusses and roof were added this week. Both the electricians and the plumbers have been working on the air burst and automated systems. Several large gates were delivered and installed. Next week, WDFW will be installing the fish screens, the contractor will complete the last pour (an apron for the building and a small fillet in the structure), and the plumbers and electricians will be finalizing their work.

The mechanical building went up quickly. This buildling houses the air compressor and tank for the air burst system and all the controls for the automation.

The gates were installed at several locations in the structure. These two gates are the outlets for the irrigation ditches. The laborer working on the structures gives an idea of the scale of this facility.

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Manastash Project Rolls On

Both the Barnes Road Diversion and the MWDA/Consolidated Diversion projects are moving toward completion. If this were a race, Barnes definitely would have the lead. The structure is essentially complete and the equipment building has been constructed. The plumbers and electricians have been working on the airburst system for the fish screen and the automation for the airburst system and the gates in the last few days. We are expecting start-up and testing as early as next week.

The air tank at the Barnes Road site has been installed in the building. The air in this tank is released through the manifold to clean the fish screen.

At MWDA/Consolidated diversion, the contractor has worked hard in the last month and the biggest concrete pours are now complete. Backfill is being placed around the north side of the structure. When this backfill is complete and new headgates arrive and are installed, the coffer dam in the creek can be removed. The CMU blocks for the building arrive tomorrow. If this building goes as fast as the one at Barnes, it should be up by the end of the week. WDFW is expected on site next week to begin installing the fish screens.
The schedule at MWDA/Consolidated is still very tight, but the contractor is staying on track and the site should be ready for start up and testing by late March.

Backfill is being placed on the north side of the structure. The frame in the structure will hold the fish screens.

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Manastash Creek Restoration Project

Progress continues on the MWDA/Consolidated Diversion and Barnes Road Diversion fish screen and fish passage facilities.


At Barnes Road, the subcontractors are beginning to install the plumbing system. The CMU block building that houses the equipment was started last week and will be finished this week when the trusses and roof are constructed.

CMU block building as of last Friday. The building will house an air compressor and tank for the air burst cleaning system as well as the controls for system and automated gates.

At the MWDA/Consolidated Diversion, another large pour was completed on Friday. This is the second wall pour and together with the first wall pour, near 300 linear feet of walls have been completed. There is likely to be just one more concrete pour, to finish the walls, some additions to the slab, and the foundation for the CMU block building. That pour is scheduled for this coming Friday.

Mike Garello (HDR) and Sherry discuss the concrete test results during the pour.

Belsaas & Smith's crew pouring the north wall, east walls, and an interior wall of the structure.

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Busy, Busy January!

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings

We conducted our first Long Range planning meeting a week ago. A total of 18 participants (including Board and staff) attended. We completed a draft update to the five year plan. We will continue to refine that draft until the plan is completed in February. If you have comments or questions, please contact us. We'd love to hear from you.

On January 27th, we will be co-hosting a workshop for farmers and ranchers. It is an opportunity to learn more about conservation easements, Kittitas County's transfer of development rights (TDR) program, and the various technical and financial assistance programs available to landowners. We are pleased to announce that Roylene Rides at the Door is scheduled to attend this meeting. Roylene is the State Conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). She and members of her staff will be talking about their programs. I will present the KCCD's available programs and Jill Arango (Cascade Land Conservancy) will talk about conservation easements and the TDR. The meeting is scheduled for 10AM to 2PM at the Teanaway Hall, Kittitas County Events Center (aka the fairgrounds). Our co-hosts are the Cascade Land Conservancy and the NRCS. Click here to view the flier advertisting the workshop: http://kccd.net/Announcements/Workshop.JPG

Project Construction

The first really large pour took place at the MWDA/Consolidated diversion on Manastash Creek last Friday. The contractor poured the slab for the entire structure- it took more than 80 yards of concrete! This project is currently behind schedule, so this was great step. The next pour is the large wall on the creek side of the structure. It is scheduled for next Tuesday.

During the pour last Friday- this is looking upstream toward the headgate.

This is the slab on Monday morning. The screens will go in the frames in the center of the photo.

At Barnes Road, the work is now focused on backfilling around the structure and adding rock to the fish way. There is one small pour remaining, which is the foundation for the mechanical building. WDFW's Screen Shop will begin installing the fish screens next week.

The major pours are all done and Barnes Road.

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Manastash Project

Despite the weather, the Manastash Creek Restoration Project is making great progress.
At the Barnes Road site, there are only a couple more concrete pours to go. There is a big one underway today.

Barnes Road- last week's prep for today's concrete pour

At the MWDA diversion, there is a concrete pour planned for next week. This is the first large one and a big step forward for the project.

Preparing for next week's concrete pour at MWDA. The frame will hold the inclined fish screens.

A sprinkler conversion project has also been underway for a shareholder on the MWDA. The pivots are now assembled and work should be completed in the next month. This project resulted in 1.7 cfs in the Trust Water Rights program to benefit instream flow in Manastash Creek.

New center pivot sprinklers

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