YAKIMA – Starting next week, scientists with the Yakama Nation Fisheries will fly a drone over sections of land managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in Kittitas and Yakima counties to collect information for habitat restoration work.
Over the next year, scientists will use a drone to capture high-resolution imagery data along stream corridors and floodplains within the Wenas, L.T. Murray, and Oak Creek wildlife areas. Data collected from the drone will provide important information in assessing the value of wood placement for improving fish habitat and stream function.
Drone flights will take place occasionally on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. in compliance with all federal and state regulations.
“We are happy to continue our partnership with the Yakama Nation on stream restoration,” said Mike Livingston, South Central Region Director for WDFW. “Using a drone gives us an opportunity to conduct monitoring safely, while also efficiently providing a view of streams and floodplains that would otherwise be impossible.”
Data collected from the drone will help inform future stream restoration work, including a project on a newly acquired parcel on the Cowiche Unit of the Oak Creek Wildlife Area that aims to enhance protection of 4.5 miles of designated critical habitat for bull trout and spawning habitat for steelhead.
On the Wenas Wildlife Area, drone images will provide a baseline for scientists to see how the floodplain develops over time after log placements reestablish the floodplain throughout the area. The log placements will provide habitat for fish and other species within the creek and riparian dependent species.
WDFW is the state agency tasked with preserving, protecting and perpetuating fish, wildlife and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing, hunting, and other recreation opportunities.