WA Fish & Wildlife, Ecology To Conduct Drone Flights Over Peshastin Drainage

The Washington Department of Ecology (ECY) will soon be conducting more drone flights over the Lower Peshastin Water Access site.

The flights are being performed in connection with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) as part of a restoration project on Lower Peshastin Creek and will be collecting information regarding current habitat conditions following higher water flows last spring.

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ECY GIS Analyst, Brad McMillan, says the activity will take place in a fairly remote location and will not be visible to the public.

The scheduled drone flights follow others that have been conducted in the area surrounding the project, including most recently on May 1, 2024.

The Lower Peshastin Creek project includes rehabilitation of the creek and its floodplain to improve rearing, holding, migration, and spawning habitat for steelhead, spring Chinook, and bull trout.

The project's primary piece will be the removal and realignment of a levee system that will place the creek closer to its original, naturally-intended course. The work will also include grading and lead remediation.

Cascade Fisheries is heading up the project and other partner agencies involved include the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board, Washington State Department of Transportation, Bonneville Power Administration, and Chelan County Public Utility District.

The drone flights will take place on either Thursday, Nov. 14 or Thursday, Nov. 21, weather permitting.