Fish and Wildlife

Rocky Reach Fish LadderThe mission of Chelan PUD’s Fish & Wildlife Programs is to meet the District’s regulatory requirements and natural resource stewardship responsibilities in a safe, cost-efficient manner.

Chelan PUD personnel develop, perform, and coordinate surveys and studies, providing the expertise both in the office and the field to meet specific license requirements mandated for the hydroelectric projects operated by the District.

The District also must carry out species monitoring and enhancement projects in order to meet requirements of our Habitat Conservation Plan agreements and the Endangered Species Act. Ongoing studies and monitoring projects serve to maintain a data set to address issues that may arise during project relicensing and other regulatory permit processes for the District’s hydroelectric projects.

More than 1,000 people share their thoughts on Confluence Parkway plan

by Rachel Hansen | Apr 19, 2022

Through surveys, open houses and trail walks, more than 1,000 people weighed in on potential impacts of the Confluence Parkway plan proposed by the City of Wenatchee. Chelan PUD commissioners reviewed a summary of the feedback on Monday. (Audio available starting at 01:04:07)

About 950 people took a 10-question survey, available online March 21 to April 4. Most people reported moderate to strong knowledge of the plan. Confluence Parkway is a proposed, 2.5-mile road and bridge across the Wenatchee River designed to alleviate congestion on North Wenatchee Avenue. The parkway runs along the edge of Horan Natural Area and Confluence State Park, which are owned by the PUD.

The survey offered images that showed specific design elements of proposed changes to the Apple Capital Loop Trail. The questions were open-ended, but through sentiment analysis, PUD staff offered commissioners a summary of the responses as generally positive, neutral or negative.

A video simulation of the proposed changes can be viewed at chelanpud.org/confluence. More images are available at the City of Wenatchee website wenatcheewa.gov, under the “get involved” tab.

As for next steps, the commissioners directed staff to initiate a more detailed investigation of noise impacts, and continue conversations with the City of Wenatchee about mitigation.

The City is planning to finish the environmental assessment this year. Then, the City will ask the PUD to provide a letter of concurrence that the project will have minimal impact to nearby properties after the proposed mitigations are met.

Also, following the completion of the project’s environmental assessment, the PUD will need to decide whether or not to apply for an amendment to its license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to incorporate changes to Confluence State Park and the Horan Natural Area.

In other news, commissioners:

  • Reviewed plans to conduct a customer satisfaction survey later this spring. Customers may get a phone call or email later this spring from Strategies 360, a vendor working on behalf of Chelan PUD. (At about 00:09:15 on the board audio)
  • Heard a quarterly update from Fish and Wildlife that included a sub yearling salmon study planned in 2022, and a proposal to partner with Chelan Douglas Land trust to rehabilitate and expand trails in Home Water Preserve, a wildlife refuge owned by Chelan PUD in the Wenatchee foothills. (00:23:15)
  • Was briefed on an extension of the deadline for developers to submit plans to redevelop the Fifth Street campus. The proposals are now due by May 16. (02:12:25)

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Here for you, providing the best for the most for the longest – chelanpud.org