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RICHLAND Too much silt and warm water make the Amon Basin an unlikely salmon and steelhead rearing site, say biologists who analyzed the basin's flows through Meadow Springs Country Club to the Yakima River delta.
The report on the Amon Basin, which is part of the Kennewick Irrigation District's irrigation water return system, was presented to KID's board Tuesday morning and again to the public later in the evening.
Biologists David Child and Ian Courter, who did the field work last August, said fine sediments and warm water in the wasteway likely would limit chances of sustaining a salmonid population.
The study was prepared for the Yakima River Basin Coalition as an objective assessment of fish habitat during summer flow conditions.
"Our review revealed that Amon wasteway does seasonally support a limited number of salmonids, but the wasteway's capacity to produce salmonids...and to sustain them throughout their life cycle was still in question," the biologists' report said.
Child said water flowing through the east and west forks of Amon Creek is good enough to sustain fish in winter months, but too hot after April.
He said their study relied on electro-shock fish surveys, water temperature sampling and determining food supply and availability of cover needed by fish. The biologists got into the water to measure its depth and width, flow rates, soil composition and the amount of woody debris.
"It was quite a trudge, especially through the Russian olive jungle," Child said.
The electro-shock surveys found mostly bass and only a few salmonid, said Courter, who is with Cramer Fish Sciences.
The study determined that the lower portion of the Amon wasteway could support five to six fish, three in the middle stretch below the golf course along Leslie Road and Canyon Street, and one in the upper reach including the golf course and north of Broadmoor Street in Meadow Springs.
Courter said salmon and steelhead do best in water that is below 64 degrees. Survival odds drop dramatically in warmer water. Amon Creek can warm into the 70s in the summer, he said.
Those results indicate the creek is not capable of sustaining a steelhead and salmon population, Courter said.
Because of that, the biologists said KID officials should "expect limited gains from attempts to alter the wasteway in order to increase salmonid production."
In other business Tuesday, the KID board:
-- Agreed to spend $16,000 more than the originally budgeted $24,000 in hiring LeMasters and Daniels to do a special audit of KID finances going back to 2006. Chuck Freeman, KID secretary-manager, said the additional cost is because of the in-depth analysis needed to meet the board's expectations. The board also agreed that all communications to board members from LeMasters & Daniels about the special audit would be copied to each board member's KID e-mail address.
-- Learned two companies are interested in doing a cost of water service study for KID. The agency wants an outside review so the board can determine if KID's system of tiered water assessments are fair.
-- KID ratepayer James Wade asked several questions about who is paying for the Red Mountain Local Improvement District. He also asked for justification of purchases of equipment and supplies that he believes were too costly. Board member Patrick McGuire asked Freeman to respond to Wade in writing.
-- John Trumbo: 509-582-1529; jtrumbo@tricityherald.com
