Author: James Kraft, Executive Director
The Okanogan River is an important river in the upper Columbia basin for threatened steelhead. Unfortunately, the Okanogan can run warm in the summer, reaching dangerously hot temperatures for cold-water fish. The streams flowing into the Okanogan River play a critical role in this system, providing steelhead with cold water and spawning habitat.
Antoine Creek is one such stream. It serves as a cold-water refuge for fish heading farther up the Okanogan and is the rare stream with high-quality steelhead habitat in the Okanogan Basin.
WWT Program Director Greg surveys the Antoine Creek valley with local landowners.
Natural and human-made barriers historically limited fish access to Antoine Creek. More than a decade ago, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation built cascading pools to aid fish passage. These pools opened around three miles of habitat below Fanchers Dam Reservoir and paved the way for future restoration efforts.
Despite releases of stored water from Fanchers Dam, Antoine Creek’s summer streamflows can still drop too low for fish. Thanks to our supporters and partners, Washington Water Trust is working with one of the creek’s last water users to restore water that will enhance the Colville Tribes’ steelhead habitat restoration projects.
Twelve million gallons of water diverted annually from Antoine Creek via this irrigation diversion will be protected instream permanently to support steelhead.
This collaboration has resulted in an agreement with the local landowner that will permanently protect 12 million gallons of water instream. This water will flow in Antoine Creek each year to support steelhead migration and spawning.
Every drop counts in watersheds like the Okanogan where fish face streamflow and temperature challenges. Thank you to our supporters and partners for helping to transform tributaries like Antoine Creek into cold-water havens for threatened fish!
P.S. – Two community members are matching the first $15,000 given to WWT by Dec. 31. If you donate today, you’ll make twice the impact for local rivers like Antoine Creek!
