Preserving the Forests and Rivers of the Upper Yakima River Basin
If our forests, rivers, wildlife and fish could talk, what would they say? Our conservation and habitat restoration work have given us a picture of what that might be. We give their important stories a platform through our blog and videos. We also share stories about the work we are doing to ensure critical habitat in Kittitas County remains accessible and healthy for wildlife, fish, and people.
Featured Videos
A Bull Trout Story
In this video, learn about the work of conservationists and biologists to save our endangered Bull Trout in the Upper Yakima River Basin. Our Bull Trout are on the verge of extinction, but there is work underway to save them. If you care about salmon, you should care about Bull Trout too. If we lose our Bull Trout, our salmon and native trout populations are next. Headwaters really do matter in our watershed!
Kachess River Restoration Project
See what KCT was up to the summer of 2023. The whole project was completed in under 4 months. Following returning flows in the fall, there were 26 Bull Trout redds (or nests) reported above the restoration area. This is the second highest redd count since 2000, when redd surveys began annually in Kachess River. It is the hope that the restoration will provide the necessary elements for the rearing Bull Trout – Cold, Clean, Complex, and Connected Habitats.
Blog Posts
Out With The Old, and In With The… Nothing?
Fish passage barrier is anything that inhibits fish, from adults to small fry, from moving up or down stream. As you can imagine, they come in all shapes in sizes. On this project, the barrier came in the shape of a ford. Working with our partners, we were able
Gold Creek Pond Restoration FAQ
Gold Creek once was home to a thriving population of bull trout and salmon. However, today salmon no longer live here and bull trout numbers are rapidly dwindling. The past 5 years we and our partners have collected data in Gold Creek Valley to understand the causes of bull
Gold Creek Pond: Changing the Dynamics of a Watershed
We're sure you are familiar with flying drones, but have you heard of a floating drone? As part of the Gold Creek Restoration Project we used a boat drone to gather the floor topography (bathymetry) of Gold Creek Pond. Why do we need to know that? We will be using
River Detectives: Trying to Solve the Mysteries of Kachess
We spent some days in October in the field with Inter-Fluve to collect information on the upper Kachess River. Our staff conducted survey work, gathered GPS points, took flow measurements, conducted gravel counts and collected stream bed samples. We also gathered LiDAR data that will be used in conjunction
Tis the Season for Salmon Spawning!
Starting in September, a stroll across Cooper Bridge off Highway 903 will reveal lots of spawning sockeye salmon. These fish, which used to run up to the Cle Elum River every year in the tens of thousands have only recently returned to these waters. Prior to 2009, they had been
Cougar Gulch – Protecting Fish and Roads
Through the end of September, we will be working on a fish habitat project. The project will replace two culverts located in Cougar Gulch near Liberty, WA. This relatively small project will benefit fish by removing culverts that are too small for the stream at higher flows. Furthermore, the project
Newsletters & Annual Reports
Click image to view full document
November 2025 Newsletter
March 2025 Newsletter
2024 Annual Report
More Videos
Learn about the Cle Elum River Project, which was completed in 2014. This project was done in two phases and required the use of heavy equipment and helicopters. It created several miles of additional side habitat for salmon and refuge from the high flows released throughout the summer. Check it out!
Support Conservation in the Upper Yakima River Basin
Become a steward of these important lands! With your help we can continue to protect the unique habitat and wildlife that make this place special to you!