News From Mid Columbia Fisheries

Everyone is invited to join us for Pizza Night at Cornerstone Pie on June 14, 2023 at 4:30

Plant ID Workshops

Virtual and In Person Training Options for Riparian Professionals!

June 20 & June 22 (Virtual) with the Washington Native Plants Society

and

June 26, 2023 (In Person) at Wenatchee Valley College) with

Jennifer Hadersberger.

The full online agenda for half-day -

(8 a.m. to Noon)

June 20 & 22, 2023 can be found HERE

Registration for June 20, 2023 HERE

Registration for June 22, 2023 HERE

Intro to Grass Identification (Info HERE)

June 26, 2023 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Registration HERE

Populus and the Eastern Washington Riparian Planting Symposium were created to bring together riparian planting practitioners, learning from each other’s projects, and creating space for discussion. It is supported by the Washington State Department of Ecology, Yakima Basin Fish and Wildlife Recovery Board, and Mid-Columbia Fisheries.

We Love Our Volunteers

This picture is from a recent Mulch Madness event near Ellensburg! Thanks to the great volunteers that came out from Central Washington University's Student, Leadership, Involvement & Community Engagement (SLICE) team!

Come join us at our Summer of Stewardship. This year we are also adding a fun educational component at each site making these events great for the whole family! Sign up HERE.

Project In Focus: Cottonwood Seedbed Replenishment

Recontoured floodplain that is tilled and smoothed prior to seed release.

Black cottonwood is a foundational tree species along arid rivers in the west, providing shade, creating a source of large wood that supports channel and floodplain complexity, slowing bank erosion, and providing a source of nutrients for macroinvertebrates. Restoration of riparian forests is an important tool in fish conservation -- and yet forest restoration can be both logistically challenging and expensive over large acreages.

Mid-Columbia Fisheries and Kittitas County Public Works are collaborating on a 17-acre pilot project to create a cottonwood forest. The project will use agricultural methods (tilling and irrigation) to mimic the floodplain conditions that support cottonwood regeneration from seed: a bare soil seedbed; moisture on the seedbed at the time of seed release; and a gradual reduction in soil moisture that does not exceed the rate and depth of root growth.

Thanks to a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology, Mid-Columbia Fisheries developed a detailed plan for the project, and we are working with our partners to secure implementation funding.

In addition, a Salmon Recovery Funding Board grant is supporting early site preparation to keep the site free of weeds. Mid-Columbia Fisheries and Kittitas County Public Works are excited to learn from the pilot project and hope the results will lead to more efficient approaches to large scale restoration of riparian cottonwood forests.

Female black cottonwood catkins releasing seed.

A stand of developing cottonwood and willows, which germinated in a recontoured floodplain along lower Reecer Creek.

Staff Profile - Meet Aaron Balagot

Aaron started working with Mid-Columbia Fisheries after receiving his degree in Biology at Central Washington University in 2017. He was excited to join Mid-Columbia Fisheries after graduation to start his career in a field related to his degree.

Aaron initially joined Mid-Columbia Fisheries in 2018 as a seasonal restoration technician and has now grown into the Crew Supervisor and Volunteer Coordinator. Aaron does an excellent job managing the restoration crew, planning volunteer events, and even assisting with project development. In all he does, Aaron brings professionalism and tremendous enthusiasm to his team, our partners and volunteers.

Aaron loves his work with Mid-Columbia Fisheries and continues to find opportunities to develop himself as a well rounded specialist in his field. In his free time Aaron enjoys lifting weights and experimenting in the kitchen!

Pictured Above: Carson Briski and Aaron Balagot

Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group is dedicated to protecting and restoring wild salmonid populations, their habitats, and ecosystem functions that support native fish species through restoration, protection, education, and community involvement throughout our region.

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