Tri State Steelheaders

TRI-STATE STEELHEADERS' MISSION IS TO RESTORE SUSTAINABLE POPULATIONS OF NATIVE SALMONIDS BY ENHANCING HABITAT, PROVIDING PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND PROMOTING RECREATIONAL ANGLING

OVERVIEWTRI-STATE STEELHEADERS IS A COMMUNITY-BASED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN SALMON HABITAT RESTORATION SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN THE MID-1960S. OUR ORGANIZATION WAS GRANTED 501(C)3 STATUS BY WASHINGTON STATE IN 1989 AND WAS DESIGNATED A REGIONAL FISHERIES ENHANCEMENT GROUP IN 2000. PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED BY GRANTS FROM STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS, AND CORPORATE SPONSORS. OUR ORGANIZATION RECEIVES VALUABLE SUPPORT FROM THE WALLA WALLA COMMUNITY AS WELL, THANKS TO GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES. IN 2021, VOLUNTEERS DONATED OVER 659 HOURS TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION. RESTORATIONTHE MILL CREEK PASSAGE PROJECTS ARE A MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-PHASE APPROACH TO IMPROVING FISH PASSAGE IN THE SIX-MILE FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL THAT RUNS THROUGH WALLA WALLA. MILL CREEK FISH PASSAGE OTIS TO DIVISION FUNDING WAS SECURED IN 2019 FROM THE SALMON RECOVERY FUNDING BOARD FOR CONSTRUCTION OF PASSAGE IMPROVEMENTS TO 2,200 FEET OF THE CONCRETE FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL. A CONSTRUCTION BID PROCESS WAS CONDUCTED IN EARLY 2021. CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN JUNE, AND WAS COMPLETED IN OCTOBER. MILL CREEK FISH PASSAGE DIVISION TO ROOSEVELTFUNDING WAS SECURED IN 2019 FROM THE BRIAN ABBOTT FISH BARRIER REMOVAL BOARD FOR CONSTRUCTION OF PASSAGE IMPROVEMENTS TO 2,000 FEET OF THE CONCRETE CHANNEL. A CONSTRUCTION BID PROCESS WAS STARTED BEFORE THE END OF 2021, AND COMPLETED IN 2022. CONSTRUCTION IS PLANNED FOR 2022. MILL CREEK FISH PASSAGE 6TH AVE EXTENSION AND SPOKANE TO PARK FOR THESE TWO PROJECTS, DESIGN WORK CONTINUED TO ADVANCE PLANS FORM A PRELIMINARY LEVEL TO A FINAL LEVEL. FINAL PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS ARE TO BE COMPLETED IN EARLY 2022. BRIDGE TO BRIDGE RESTORATION PHASES 2 & 3THE BRIDGE TO BRIDGE PROJECT IS INTENDED TO IMPROVE IN-STREAM HABITAT, RIPARIAN HABITAT, AND FLOODPLAIN FUNCTION ON ABOUT TWO MILES OF THE LOWER WALLA WALLA RIVER. FOR PHASE 2, A CONSTRUCTION BID PROCESS WAS CONDUCTED IN SPRING OF 2021. CONSTRUCTION WAS COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER. LOG STRUCTURES WERE INSTALLED TO CREATE RESTING POOLS, COVER FROM PREDATORS, COMPLEX HABITAT, AND OTHER CONDITIONS FAVORABLE TO FISH. PHASE 3 DESIGN WORK WAS INITIATED WITH AN ENGINEERING CONSULTANT. PLANS ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN LATE 2022. BREWER WETLANDTHIS 23-ACRE SITE HAS BEEN IMPROVED WITH MITIGATION FUNDING FOR IMPACTS TO REGIONAL WETLANDS. STARTING IN 2010, THREE NEW PONDS CREATED 1.25 ACRES OF OPEN WATER. IN LATE 2015 AND EARLY 2016, FIVE ACRES AT THE NORTH END OF THE SITE WERE ENCLOSED WITH DEER FENCING, SEEDED WITH A NATIVE GRASS MIX, AND PLANTED WITH OVER 5,000 TREES AND SHRUBS. IN 2017, AMERICORPS VOLUNTEERS PLANTED ADDITIONAL TREES TO REPLACE INITIAL PLANTINGS THAT DID NOT SURVIVE. IN 2021, SITE MAINTENANCE WAS CONDUCTED, AND THE SITE CONTINUES TO PERFORM WELL.

EDUCATIONSALMON IN SCHOOL THE SALMON IN SCHOOL PROGRAM ALLOWS STUDENTS A HANDS-ON STEM LEARNING EXPERIENCE THROUGH RAISING AND RELEASING SALMON. FOR THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR, A HYBRID MODEL OF THE PROGRAM WAS CONDUCTED AS SCHOOLS WERE MOSTLY CLOSED TO IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION. FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR, THE PROGRAM PROVIDED 17 AQUARIUMS IN AREA SCHOOLS IN WALLA WALLA, COLUMBIA, AND GARFIELD COUNTIES. CHINOOK SALMON EGGS FROM THE UMATILLA FISH HATCHERY WERE DELIVERED TO THE CLASSROOM TANKS IN OCTOBER. STUDENTS WATCHED THEM HATCH INTO THE ALEVIN STAGE AND THEN ABSORB THEIR YOLK SACS TO BECOME FRY. DURING THE MONTHS THAT THE FISH WERE GROWING, OUR STAFF PROVIDED IN-CLASS LESSONS ON FISH ANATOMY, SALMON LIFE CYCLE, WATERSHED HEALTH, AND FISH ART. IN THE SPRING, STUDENTS RELEASE THEIR FRY INTO MILL CREEK, THE TOUCHET RIVER, AND THE TUCANNON RIVER.

RECREATIONSUPPORT OF JUMBO TROUT PROGRAMTRI-STATE STEELHEADERS CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE WDFW JUMBO TROUT PROGRAM BY PURCHASING FOOD USED TO RAISE ABOUT 4,000 RAINBOW TROUT. JUMBOS ARE ABOUT 1.5 2 POUNDS, AND ARE RELEASED INTO APPROXIMATELY 20 SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON LAKES, INCLUDING BENNINGTON LAKE IN WALLA WALLA. THIS PROGRAM IS POPULAR WITH ANGLERS, AND WOULD BE DISCONTINUED BY WDFW WITHOUT THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE STEELHEADERS. KIDS FISHING DAYSOUR KIDS FISHING DAYS WERE CANCELED DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS IN 2021. IN THE PAST, TRI-STATE STEELHEADERS AND THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS CO-SPONSORED THE ANNUAL KIDS FISHING DAY AT BENNINGTON LAKE ON THE FREE FISHING WEEKEND IN JUNE. WE ALSO TYPICALLY PARTNERED WITH THE FOREST SERVICE TO HOLD A KIDS FISHING DAY AT JUBILEE LAKE IN JULY. IN 2019, 160 KIDS REGISTERED FOR THE EVENTS. RODS AND REELS WERE AVAILABLE TO LOAN TO KIDS WHO DID NOT HAVE GEAR OF THEIR OWN. NEW FISHING POLES AND OTHER PRIZES WERE GIVEN OUT IN A RAFFLE AND TO WINNERS OF THE CASTING CONTEST AND BIGGEST FISH CONTEST. PARTICIPANTS ALSO ENJOYED FREE HOT DOGS AND SODA. THE EVENTS WERE MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR PARTNERING AGENCIES AND BY MANY LOCAL VOLUNTEERS AND BUSINESSES.