Conservation/Environment

In order to assist game managers, Chelan County PUD has conducted wintering big game surveys along Lake Chelan since 1982 as a provision of the previous Chelan Hydro license. During these surveys, Chelan PUD monitored numbers of game species such as mule deer, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep from November through March. PUD biologists gather information about big game abundance, distribution, and herd composition. Bald and golden eagle numbers and incidental sightings of coyotes, bobcats, cougars, and bears are also recorded. With the new Chelan Hydro license, these surveys will continue as part of the Lake Chelan Wildlife Management Plan. Provisions of this plan will determine projects for the next five years and will be reviewed annually.

The numbers of animals counted varies depending on the severity of the winter and weather conditions during the surveys. Biologists have counted up to 139 mountain goats and 80 bighorn sheep during surveys. Mule deer counts have exceeded 1,000 during several surveys. Results of the surveys are provided to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service. The information is used by state and federal agencies to make management decisions about big game management and their related habitats. Since 1984 the PUD has provided labor and annual funding for wildlife habitat improvement projects and fisheries surveys in the Lake Chelan basin. These improvement projects will also be reviewed with agencies for inclusion in the Lake Chelan Wildlife Management Plan required by the new Lake Chelan license.

Mountain goats are found in steep, rocky terrain in Chelan County. The goats have thick white shaggy coats that keep them warm. Their tough, rubbery feet help them keep a firm grip on the rocky terrain. Their bodies are quite thin, helping them to walk along narrow cliffs and ledges. During the summer months the goats use high elevation habitats for foraging. During the winter, the goats must move out of the high elevations to lower elevations along the lake to forage. The shores of Lake Chelan provide ideal wintering habitat for big game. The lake holds heat and helps to reduce snow levels along the shoreline providing the goats better access to limited winter forage. Goats burn less energy while moving about through shallower snow depths. The steep cliffs hosting mixed open forest habitats along the lakeshore are where most mountain goats spend the winter.

Chelan PUD conducts surveys for the goats along the shores of Lake Chelan and in the lower Stehekin Valley during our big game winter surveys. Biologists gather information about where the goats are located, their numbers, and their herd composition (# adults and # kids). In the early 1980’s the PUD assisted in interagency efforts to transplant mountain goats to Lake Chelan shorelines. The reintroduction efforts boosted the declining goat population and introduced more genetic variability into the herds. Twenty-nine goats were brought from Olympic National Park and released on both shores in 1983 and an additional 15 goats were released in 1984. The mountain goats were neck collared and ear-tagged with color coded collars and tags for identification and tracking. The winter big game surveys provided data on the relocated goats. Mountain goat populations have increased since the early 1980’s. However, much of the available habitat in the Chelan Basin is not being used by the goats or is used by fewer goats. This seems to be following a statewide trend, and agencies are conducting studies to determine why.

Chelan County hosts one of the largest populations of mule deer in Washington State. The rugged terrain and diversity of habitats provides excellent mule deer summer and winter range. Most mule deer in Chelan County are migratory, summering at high elevations near the Cascade Mountains and wintering at low elevations near the Columbia River breaks. Wildfires in the late 1980's and 1990's burned large portions of deer winter range in Chelan County. As a result, many of the large stands of tall shrubs (such as bitterbrush) that deer depend on for winter browse have been reduced or eliminated.

Encroachment of human development on mule deer winter range poses another threat to the deer population. As human development progresses, mule deer may be displaced from historic winter ranges, forcing them to winter in areas of higher elevation where the snow is deeper. When the snow is deep, deer burn more energy trying to find available forage and stay warm. The higher energy expenses make the deer weak and more susceptible to predation, disease, and starvation. Management of mule deer winter range is highly important, and Chelan PUD is involved in study, management, and augmentation of these important habitats.

Chelan County PUD monitors populations of deer wintering along Lake Chelan. We count numbers of mule deer observed, record herd composition (number of bucks, does, and fawns), and document their distribution along Lake Chelan. The surveys are required by license for the Chelan Dam to provide management information to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service.

Healthy deer populations need healthy habitats. The PUD also conducts habitat enhancement projects along Rocky Reach and Rock Island reservoirs and in the Lake Chelan Basin to improve winter range for mule deer and other wildlife. Habitat enhancement projects have included bitterbrush planting in fire-damaged winter range and emergency winter feeding stations for deer and bighorn sheep. We are working with the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust to consolidate trails and reconstruct winter range habitat in the Sage Hills trails area. Winter deer counts are on-going in the Sage Hills trails area.  Other projects include noxious weed control, controlled burns, fertilizing, and riparian improvements. The PUD provides Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife funds to further study and manage the mule deer population in Chelan County as required by our hydroelectric project licenses.

In March of 1999, Chelan PUD biologists assisted in an interagency effort to release 13 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep on the North Shore of Lake Chelan. In 2000, 34 more Rocky Mountain bighorns were released between Grade and Coyote creeks. The sheep were captured from populations in Lincoln, Kittitas, and Yakima counties and the Okanogan Valley in Washington State. Bighorns in Washington State were eradicated by 1930 due to unrestricted hunting and diseases passed by domestic sheep. Efforts to remove grazing of domestic sheep and reintroduce bighorns was coordinated between the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The numbers of bighorn sheep have steadily increased since the reintroduction. The Lake Chelan Big Game surveys monitor the number and distribution of bighorns seen along the lake during the winter. The north shore of Lake Chelan offers open grassy terraces and steep rock bluffs where bighorns thrive on grasses, shrubs, and other plants. The open grassland habitats are preferred by the sheep. They are able to forage and watch for predators with the safety of rocky habitats nearby.