Manastash Creek Fish Habitat Enhancement & Flood Hazard Management Corridor Plan

The Kittitas County Conservation District (KCCD) led an investigation to develop a corridor plan to guide the implementation of habitat enhancement and flood hazard reduction actions along 13 miles of Manastash Creek, near Ellensburg, WA. The objective was to develop a focused strategy and list of projects that can be implemented over time to improve aquatic habitat and reduce flood and erosion impacts.

Role / Services: WSE, working as a specialist sub-consultant, was responsible for identifying existing flood and erosion hazards along the 13 mile project reach and recommending actions to reduce the hazards. WSE also worked with an environmental consultant to identify solutions that provide both flood and erosion hazard reduction as well as habitat enhancements. This project involved multiple stakeholder meetings including briefings to the project Technical Advisory Group, meetings with individual landowners, and presenting findings and the final corridor plan to the public.

Outcome: The plan is being used by the KCCD and its partners to prioritize actions and to guide grant funding requests to implement actions.