Temporary changes are reducing flows in Yellowhawk Creek

WALLA WALLA – The Washington State Department of Ecology reports there are lower-than-normal flows along Yellowhawk Creek near Walla Walla. The reduced flows are part of a larger effort to protect water supplies in the greater Walla Walla River Basin and allow fish to safely migrate to the upper reaches of Mill Creek.

As the demand for water increases and supplies dwindle, Ecology is working with the state of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and stakeholders on both sides of the state border to find solutions. One of those projects involves temporarily using water rights from Oregon in a new program to protect fish.

According to the agreement, water rights from Oregon have been put into a temporary trust, protecting the water from being diverted from other uses as it flows through Mill Creek and to the Walla Walla River. The temporary trust began Aug. 1 and will continue through Sept. 30.

The goal is to maintain a minimum of eight cubic feet per second in Mill Creek before it enters the Walla Walla River. To achieve this, Ecology uses control points to manage water. This means some tributaries may see less water than typical for this time of year.

The temporary changes in water mean less water is being diverted into Yellowhawk Creek, but Ecology said it is committed to maintaining streamflow in the creek and fisheries managers are available to respond, if conditions change. Ecology’s water master for the basin is closely monitoring water levels and will move as much water as possible down Yellowhawk Creek once the increased flow in Mill Creek is satisfied.

Photo: Yellowhawk Creek

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Elkhorn Media Group

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