USACE Issues License for $1.2 Million Initiative to Improve Salmon Habitat on Yakima River
By Misty
WALLA WALLA, WA – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Walla Walla District, has issued a five-year construction license to the Benton Conservation District (BCD) for the Amon Creek Habitat Restoration Project, a $1.2 million initiative aimed at improving fish habitat and migration conditions at the Yakima Delta Habitat Management Unit near McNary Lock and Dam.
The project will reroute approximately 1,400 feet of the lower Amon Creek channel to connect with a deeper pool in the Yakima River. A low-flow deflector will also be installed to maintain Amon Creek’s cooler waters during summer months while creating natural scour at higher flows. These changes are expected to increase average water depth from 0.5 to 1.6 meters, creating cooler, deeper habitat for salmon and trout.