The Problem
Stretching across 212 square miles in North Central Washington, the scenic Icicle Creek watershed near Leavenworth is grappling with water problems that have led a diverse set of stakeholders to find a solution. The issues are many: helping endangered fish; ensuring tribal harvest requirements; meeting water supply demand for the growing City of Leavenworth; and serving agriculture and irrigation needs in the Wenatchee Valley; and improving fish passage and habitat. These are just some of the core guiding needs that triggered the Icicle Workgroup to begin work over six years ago on a solution – dubbed the “Icicle Strategy”.
How We Helped
Aspect is the technical and facilitation lead for the $82 Million Icicle Strategy effort, which is designed to improve instream flows, assist in agricultural sustainability, and provide for local domestic growth beyond the year 2050 in the Icicle Creek Subbasin in North Central Washington. Aspect serves the Icicle Working Group that consists of members including Chelan County, City of Leavenworth, Icicle-Peshastin Irrigation District, Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, Yakama Nation, Colville Confederated Tribes, the Washington State Department of Ecology, numerous federal agencies, local citizens, and non-profit organizations.
Our work has included facilitating Working Group sessions, technical evaluation of water resource projects across the subbasin (conservation, storage, pump exchanges, etc.); and leading the writing, review, and public presentation of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS).
Icicle Work Group Milestone
The final PEIS, released in January 2019, describe a suite of recommendations including creek modifications for improved fish passage; residential conservation projects in the Leavenworth area; automating dam releases; restoring Eightmile Lake to historical and permitted high water storage elevation; and Leavenworth hatchery infrastructure upgrades; and other projects. The overall program is designed to improve instream flows, assist in agricultural sustainability, and provide for local domestic growth beyond the year 2050 at a cost of $82 million over the next 10 years.