Lower Cle Elum River Off-Channel Habitat Restoration

Client: Kittitas Conservation Trust

Location: Kittitas County, WA

Summary: Cardno ENTRIX worked with the Kittitas Conservation Trust to restore several thousand feet of high quality off-channel habitat in Kittitas County, WA. This side-channel has been disconnected from the river due to flow regulation and a lack of sediment and woody debris supply. Cardno ENTRIX designed a series of engineered logjams (ELJ) to enhance salmonid productivity by providing side-channel refugia and off-channel rearing areas to juvenile Chinook. The ELJ will deflect river flow into the disconnected channel and restore the river?s natural complexity. A 2D hydraulic model was developed to support the design. Cardno ENTRIX worked closely with stakeholders, including the Yakima Tribe, the Bureau of Reclamation, Suncadia Resort and the US Forest Service. Cardno ENTRIX also provided construction oversight.