Cowiche Creek is a good place to start when it comes to salmon and steelhead success stories in the Yakima Basin.

Fish once eliminated from the small tributary have returned. Obstacles to passage have been removed, and riparian vegetation provides a faster-flowing, cooler path upstream.

While it’s hardly fixed every problem or brought back historic populations, Yakima Basin Fish and Wildlife Recovery Board Executive Director Alex Conley said it’s an example of positive steps in the region.

“What we saw in Cowiche Creek is a lot like what we’ve seen on probably 10 different creeks through the basin,” Conley said. “You could tell a similar story — different in the details, but a similar story for Manastash Creek, for Taneum Creek, for Swauk Creek.”

Read more about salmon recovery efforts in the Yakima Basin and how North Yakima Conservation District is a partner in the process by following the link below.

Source: Yakima Herald | Projects to help fish: Salmon recovery efforts highlighted in Yakima Basin