Contamination cleaned up, historical channel reconnected and fish habitat restored
information released; photo above: Lower Peshastin Creek after the restoration project was completed this fall. Log structures and new riparian plants create healthy habitat for fish and other wildlife depending on the creek. Photo by Department of Fish and Wildlife.
We have exciting news for fish and wildlife in Chelan County. After a decade of planning and two years of active construction, the Lower Peshastin Creek Restoration Project is complete.
Led by Cascade Fisheries and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the project cleaned up contamination, reconnected the creek to its historical channel, and improved vital habitat for threatened and endangered fish species.
Supporting salmon recovery
Peshastin Creek is an important spawning site for endangered Chinook, steelhead, and bull trout.
It is also one of the only cold water refuges in the Lower Wenatchee Basin. Fish migrating upstream move into the creek for temporary relief from the warmer Wenatchee River. Without this refuge, the warm temperatures can be deadly to these endangered species. Drought years like this one only exacerbate the issue.
Peshastin Creek untouched in 1972 before the construction of the access road to Dryden Dam, pre-restoration in 2021, and post-restoration in 2025. The newly constructed V-shaped channel and log structures can be seen in the bottom photo. Graphic by Cascade Fisheries.
Restoring diverse habitats
The project rebuilt 1,000 feet of the creek’s historical channel just above its connection to the Wenatchee River. Peshastin Creek hasn’t flowed along this path since 1975, when it was cut off by an access road to Dryden Dam. The straighter, narrower shape created faster-moving water that sped up erosion and was less hospitable for fish.
Clearing the way for the new channel required removing over 2,000 cubic yards of rock, vegetation, and lead-contaminated soil. Then, crews needed to add 3,500 cubic yards of material to create the new stream-bed.
Along both the old and newly built channels, Cascade Fisheries strategically placed log structures and rocks to slow the flow of water, catch sediment, and create pools of cool water for fish.
The project also planted three acres of new vegetation to expand habitat surrounding the creek. This area, called a floodplain, can now support a thriving ecosystem of wildlife and native plants.
Community support was vital. Earlier this fall, many volunteers came out to re-plant the sensitive shrub-steppe plants that had been disturbed by the construction.
Crews at work building the new channel. They constructed log and rock structures to slow the flow of water. Photo by Cascade Fisheries.
Cleaning up contamination
Before any of the habitat restoration could begin, we needed to clean up the area to make it safe for fish, plants, and people.
The soil was contaminated by lead shot from a former gun club nearby. Some of the bullets had been ground into dust that spread quickly, sinking more than three feet into the ground throughout the area.
The soil also contained unsafe levels of arsenic, DDT, and dieldrin, which likely came from legacy pesticides used on former or current orchards near the site.
With Ecology funding, the project removed 2,000 pounds of lead and toxic waste.
Some of it we recycled. The rest we treated with a phosphate substance so precipitation wouldn’t spread it into groundwater. We then placed it in a specially lined area and buried it under a 15-foot protective soil cover to keep rain, burrowing animals, and plant roots from reaching the contaminated materials.
A gravel sorter in action during the lead cleanup process. Photo by Cascade Fisheries.
Healthy environment for future generations
The restoration of Peshastin Creek is a gift for future generations as well as salmon making the long journey home. It boosted communities, investing $160,000 in local contractors, $60,000 in local businesses, and $80,000 in local sales tax.
The state’s environmental cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act, funded a significant portion of the project, enabling its completion after ten years of planning.
This success is the result of long-term collaboration and dedication from our project partners, including: Cascade Fisheries, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Bureau of Reclamation, Washington Recreation and Conservation Office, Salmon Recovery Funding Board, and Bonneville Power Administration.
We owe special recognition to Jeff Newschwander. Jeff spent nearly two decades at Ecology supporting cleanup work just like this. His efforts building community trust were key to making this project possible from the start, though he passed in 2023 before he could see its completion.
Together, these many partners have created a special sanctuary of clean water and healthy habitat that future generations of people and fish can depend on.
Crews install native plants along the creek, which will grow into a thriving habitat for wildlife. Photo by Cascade Fisheries.
Cascade Fisheries staff celebrate the project’s completion with a ribbon cutting ceremony over the creek in late October. Photo by Department of Fish and Wildlife.
