Icicle Creek work group to showcase $9 Million in water projects at public meeting

LEAVENWORTH — The Icicle Creek Work Group will host a public open house on February 26 to showcase progress on multiple water management and infrastructure projects in the Icicle Creek watershed.

The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Chelan County Fire District No. 3 firehall, located at 228 Chumstick Highway, featuring a 30-minute presentation beginning at 6:30 p.m.

"The work group has taken on a number of new projects, especially in the past few years," said Mary Jo Sanborn, senior program manager with Chelan County Natural Resources. "We're eager to update the community on our progress and explain the long-term impacts these projects will have on the Icicle Creek watershed. We will also have news on what's to come in the near future."

The work group, established 13 years ago, comprises representatives from local, state and federal agencies, tribes, irrigation and agricultural interests, and environmental organizations. Their collaborative efforts focus on addressing chronic water supply issues while enhancing fish habitat and improving agricultural reliability.

Among the highlighted projects is a $9 million irrigation improvement initiative by the Cascade Orchard Irrigation Company, scheduled for completion in May 2025. The project will modernize a century-old system, converting it from gravity-flow to a closed-pressurized system while improving instream flows.

At Eightmile Lake Dam, engineers have begun design work following the completion of an Environmental Impact Statement that identified a wide spillway without gates as the preferred alternative.

The Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery recently completed the first phase of its Surface Water Intake Fish Screens and Fish Passage project in December 2023, addressing fish passage concerns and reducing environmental impacts. A second phase, planned for spring 2026, will focus on rehabilitating the hatchery's surface water supply pipeline.

The work group also launched the Water Smart Gardens Program in 2024, offering landowners $2 per square foot for lawn removal, with maximum reimbursements of $3,000.

The Icicle Creek watershed serves multiple purposes in the region, supporting domestic water supply, agricultural irrigation, fish hatchery operations, fish habitat, and recreational activities.

The open house will provide information about these ongoing projects and future initiatives. Interested parties can find additional information about the Icicle Work Group and its strategy at www.iciclestrategy.com.