Wenas Creek Project

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Wenas Creek Project

• There are 320 acres at the Buchanan Ranch
  Project.
• Michael Tobin of the North Yakima Conservation
  District is the main leader in this whole
  project.
• Rod Lobos is the Restoration Engineer.
• Bryan Schmidt is the Fisherys Specialist.

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Site History

• The Buchanan Ranch Project on Wenas Creek was
  bought by a developer who plans to build upscale
  houses on the slopes that overlook the creek.
  The flood plain adjacent to the creek is to be
  restored to natural conditions through the use of
  intense bioengineering and habitat restoration.
  The site has been heavily overgrazed for many
  years and has lost all of the streamside woody
  vegetation. There are also problems with bank
  erosion and entrenchment of the creek.

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• The next slide shows a view of the Buchanan
  Ranch property looking southeast. The circled
  areas identify portions of Wenas Creek with
  active bank erosion. Note that there is very
  little grass remaining and no streamside woody
  vegetation. Before this part of Yakima County
  was settled this site was probably an active
  wetland with lots of trees and shrubs bordering
  the creek.

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Picture of the Site
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• The next slide shows a view of the Buchanan
  Ranch site looking to the Northwest. Several
  spots along both banks will be engineered to
  improve water flow and fish habitat. After the
  engineering work is completed both banks will be
  planted with native trees and shrubs.

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• The next slide shows one of the main causes
  of habitat loss at this site. Over grazing by
  cattle over many years has removed most of the
  woody streamside vegetation, disturbed and
  eliminated most of the native grass species, and
  caused problems with soil compaction.

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• The following slide shows the areas where we
  are going to revegetate. The areas that are
  circled are the places that we are going to be
  planting our trees. These are the best places for
  them to grow because of the deep, rich soil. The
  bank with the gravel can not be used to plant
  trees because the ground is so hard to dig in and
  is very dry. Most transplanting will have to
  wait until next spring for much of the site,
  because heavy equipment will be active for most
  of the summer repairing and improving bank
  habitat.

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Picture of our class
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• During the first week of May we will be
  transplanting our trees and those grown by
  students at Davis High School. Plans are in the
  works to have students from the White Swan
  Alternative School help out. We are also working
  on getting a Tribal Elder from the Yakama Nation
  to conduct a blessing ceremony and have another
  give us an overview of the historical importance
  of Wenas Creek to the Tribe.