THE PROCESS The Forest Service will conduct a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis to determine what action(s) need to be taken for the pond and the creek. The public can provide written comment and input through the NEPA process, which the Forest Service will respond to before reaching a decision. Through the NEPA
Over 5 years ago, KCT was asked by federal, state, and other partners working to preserve bull trout in the upper Yakima Basin to apply for funding to study Gold Creek and assess the hydrology, habitat, and geomorphic history of the system. Our task was to gather data on the area to provide to
As a community-based conservation organization, we live and recreate in the same places we work. It’s our goal for this project to enhance recreation around the pond. Recreational designs will be incorporated into each restoration alternative analyzed in the NEPA process. Whichever alternative is selected will include ADA accessible trails and remain a family-friendly
Prior to excavation Gold Creek Pond was a wetlands habitat complex. The gravel pit that WSDOT dug is expansive - it takes up 90 percent of the floodplain and is 60 feet deep at its lowest part. It is one of the few gravel pits in the Gold Creek floodplain that wasn't restored back
We can't say for sure that restoration will solve dewatering. Climate change and over 100 years of man-made change are challenging to overcome. What we do know is that it will help! There is enough water coming out of Gold Creek Pond year-round to make it all the way down to the resevoir. Althought
We see the effects of climate change across Washington State in a number of ways. At Gold Creek, these impacts do contribute to dewatering. Weather and climate, primarily winter snowpack levels and summer thunderstorms, influence both the timing and duration of dewatering in the creek. Climate change models predict the Gold Creek watershed will
Yes, there is written record that it did dating back to the 1960’s, and likely occurred prior to that, which makes sense. For starters, WSDOT started digging gravel pits in the lower floodplain of Gold Creek as early as 1929 and logging took place starting in the 1940's, both of which would contribute to
A lot of on the ground science! Groundwater wells were installed across the valley and instream gages were installed along over 2 miles of Gold Creek. These monitoring locations collected water level data at 15-minute intervals over the course of two years. Engineers with Natural Systems Design, a firm that specializes in stream
A range of human impacts led to the decline of habitat in Gold Creek. Historic clear-cut logging in the valley, including the large trees lining the channel banks, resulted in dramatic channel widening. The wider channel causes two problems: 1) Water spreads out over a larger surface, which decreases the creek’s depth and 2)
The need for this work was identified by the bull trout experts! The Bull Trout Working Group was formed in 2002. It is comprised of partners and experts working to conserve bull trout in the Yakima Basin. In 2012, the Bull Trout Working Group developed the Bull Trout Action Plan, which identified actions