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Working in partnership with others, the Walla Walla County Conservation District found a way to let steelhead spawn and keep irrigation water flowing.
There are many demands placed on Washington's rivers, and meeting all of them can be a challenge, but the Walla Walla County Conservation District , the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation, BPA, and other community partners found a way to do just that. Today, the Touchet River provides precious irrigation water to Walla Walla farmers while also providing adequate habitat for steelhead, thanks to the completion of the Hofer Dam project in 2006.
Before 2006, 24 percent of the returning adult steelhead could not swim beyond Hofer Dam which was constructed in the past to direct water into irrigation channels. In addition, the young offspring of the fish that did make it upstream often swam into irrigation ditches by mistake. The Hofer Dam project provided a state-of-the-art fish screen to prevent juvenile salmon from entering irrigation ditches and a fish ladder to enable all returning steelhead to migrate upstream.
Walla Walla Conservation District, like the other 46 conservation districts throughout Washington State, is a leader in the local community for natural resource protection. If you need help with your conservation projects, your local conservation district can help you with planning, design, finding the right cost-share program, working with community partners, and overseeing project work. Whether it's putting in an efficient irrigation system, fencing along a stream, managing pastures or forests, or using a new tillage practice, the result will be improved working operations for you and better protection for fish and wildlife. It's a win-win for all!
For more information about Walla Walla County Conservation District programs and projects, read their annual report:  Annual Report 2007 - Walla Walla County Conservation District 218.57 Kb
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