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 Bonaparte Creek, a tributary to the Okanogan River, closely parallels State Route 20 east of Tonasket. The creek supports agriculture, forestry, mining, residential areas, and recreation.
In addition, the lower mile of the creek is known spawning and rearing habitat for Upper Columbia threatened Steelhead.
The Okanogan Conservation District (OCD) is working with landowners in the Bonaparte Creek watershed to clean up the creek and improve water quality. Bonaparte Creek has a high sediment load and elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria.
A local citizens group was formed to address all natural resource issues within the watershed, and one of the issues identified was garbage dumped in the lower mile of the creek.
In August 2007 Okanogan CD coordinated a massive garbage clean-up day on Bonaparte Creek.
The day was a monumental coordination effort with participants such as the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Gallup’s Crane Service, JBS Enterprise, and local landowners.
Garbage hauled up from the creek bottom included a car, several grocery carts, air conditioning units, washer and dryer, lawn mower, empty 55 gallon drums, newspaper dispensers, a microwave oven, bicycles, vehicle bench seat, household trash, and other miscellaneous pieces of debris.
Together this debris and garbage totaled nearly two tons!
The private landowners along the creek were happy to have years’ worth of garbage removed from a stream that they were trying to enhance. Private businesses involved were also pleased to be part of an effort to rid the creek of the garbage that had been an eyesore for years.
The garbage removal project was a big success with many of the participants donating time and materials; the effort also heightened awareness about the garbage problem associated with the creek.
As a result of the project, WSDOT posted additional “litter and it will hurt” signs as well as a “no dumping” sign upstream.
Ralph Longanecker, a lifelong Tonasket area resident, had this to say about the 2007 garbage clean-up day at Bonaparte Creek: “It was a filthy place, it needed to be cleaned up for health and safety reasons- not just aesthetics.
It’s very important that children playing in the creek do not get sick.”
OCD was able to provide the leadership and funding to coordinate this community effort with willing landowners , businesses, and agencies.
Everyone involved shares an immense amount of pride over the outcome of the project, this activity has helped to foster a continued commitment to improving and enhancing the water quality of the creek.
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