The Yakama Nation is proposing a project to improve habitat for spring Chinook, steelhead and bull trout on the Twisp River about 7 1/2 miles west of Twisp.
The Horseshoe Habitat Enhancement Project seeks to restore rearing and spawning habitats in the mainstem river and side channels and to restore floodplain connectivity.
The project will re-create large wood structures to encourage multiple channels and increase hydraulic complexity. The wood structures will also help create pools to provide thermal refuge for juvenile salmonids.
After the project is completed, vegetation on the project site will be restored using high-clearance 4-x-4 trucks and small tracked equipment. There is a temporary erosion and sediment plan for the project.
This reach of the Twisp River presents one of the greatest opportunities to recover interactions between the main channel, side channels and riparian vegetation for increased habitat complexity to sustain salmon habitat over time, according to the project description.
People can comment on the Horseshoe Habitat Enhancement Project to the Okanogan County Planning Department by March 3. For more information or to comment, contact Senior Planner Charlene Schumacher at (509) 422-7113 or cschumacher@co.okanogan.wa.us.
