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
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
Bull Trout in the Food Web
By the time they are adults, bull trout can measure over 2 feet in length and weight over 20 pounds. Their large size lends itself to them being the apex predator in lake and river ecosystems. However, as young fish they are an important part of the food chain as
Biologists Rescue Stranded Bull Trout in Kachess River
Team of Biologist Rescue Stranded Fish In Kachess River The Daily Record wrote a great story about the efforts of KCT and our partners to keep bull trout from disappearing from the upper Yakima River Basin. Only three populations remain in the upper Yakima River Basin, one of which is
Protecting Bull Trout in the Upper Yakima River Basin
Kittitas Conservation Trust (KCT) is working hard to protect bull trout! They are important for maintaining the unique ecosystem of the upper Yakima River basin and are a primary indicator of climate change impacts – a canary in the coal mine. Bull trout are currently listed as threatened by the US