Guiding Principles

The Guiding Principles are a set of shared goals developed by the Icicle Work Group to guide the development and implementation of a strategy to meet the diverse needs of the stakeholders in the Icicle Creek Watershed. The combination of projects being implemented are intended to collectively meet all of the guiding principles.

Comply with State and Federal Law, Wilderness Acts (LAWS)

All projects must comply with state and federal laws, including the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Act of 1976, and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Management Plan of 1981.

Enhance Icicle Creek Habitat/ Passage/Screens (HABITAT)

Goal of additional habitat improvement met with adaptive management.

Improve Agricultural Reliability (AGRICULTURE)

Improve infrastructure to be more operational, flexible, decrease risk of drought impacts, and are economically sustainable. Ensure current interruptible agricultural users have a firm water supply.

Improve Domestic Supply (DOMESTIC)

Meet growing demand of 1,750 acre-feet of reliable year-round water supply.

Improve Instream Flow (FLOW)

Improve instream flow by about 40 cfs to enhance fish passage, promote healthy habitats, meet aesthetic and water quality objectives, and is resilient to climate change. Instream flow targets are 100 cfs in average years and 60 cfs in drought years.

Protect Tribal Treaty and Non-Tribal Harvest (TRIBAL)

Maintain tribal, non-tribal, and federally protected fishing and harvest rights at all times. Improve catch per unit effort and maintain multispecies harvest opportunities.

Sustainable Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery (HATCHERY)

Enhance and maintain a healthy, sustainable hatchery that produces fish in adequate numbers to meet requirements, maximizes fish health, and minimizes unintended fish passage impediments. This includes a sufficient, diverse water supply; water conservation; and infrastructure upgrades.

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Guiding Principles and Metrics 

This summary describes the IWG Guiding Principles and how they are quantified for the development of an integrated project list.  Full qualitative descriptions of the guiding principles are included in the IWG Operating Procedures.  Metrics for guiding principles are subject to feasibility, funding, and permitting. 

Improve Instream Flows (FLOW)

Icicle Creek Historic Channel: 

  • 60 cfs minimum flows (drought years) 
  • 100 cfs minimum flows (non-drought years), short-term goal 
  • 250 cfs minimum flows (non-drought years), long-term goal 
  • 2,600 cfs maximum flow to preserve habitat function 

Flow improvement needed (in projects) to meet total minimum flows:  40 cfs[1]

Improve sustainability of LNFH (HATCHERY) 

  • Meet U.S. v. Oregon and other agreements specifying fish production requirements 
  • 57 cfs supply protected long-term (at least 20 cfs conservation goal) 
  • Diverse source availability (temperature, pathogen-free) to maximize fish health 
  • Structures minimize unintended fish passage impediments 

Protect Tribal and Non-Tribal Harvest (TRIBAL)

  • Catch per unit of effort (CPUE) improved 
  • Maintain multi-species harvest opportunities 
  • Tribal Impacts Assessment and Adaptive Management Plan being implemented, addressing attraction flows, sediment transport, fish migration/straying, site access and amenities 

Improve Domestic Supply (DOMESTIC)

  •  1,750 acre-feet of reliable year-round supply (2.5 cfs average, 5 cfs peak)  

Improve Agricultural Reliability (AGRICULTURE)

  • Automate / Optimize Alpine Lakes Reservoirs for improved reliability (plus instream flow benefit) 
  • Restore/repair Eightmile Lake Reservoir up to 2,500 acre-feet (1,125 ac-ft additional instream flow/domestic benefit) 
  • Current interruptible agricultural users have firm supply in average water years / agriculture water bank (2 to 4 cfs) 

Enhance Icicle Creek Habitat (HABITAT)

  • Improve passage in Icicle Creek including to Upper Icicle Creek 
  • Make investments in physical habitat improvement with consideration for high flow habitat and low flow refuge, minimize fish passage impediments, and improve limiting factor spawning/rearing 
  • Offset project-related terrestrial impacts with land acquisition/easements 

Comply with State and Federal Law, and Wilderness Acts (LAWS)

  • Identify and engage regulators in the process  
  • Environmental review completed (project check) 
  • All projects appropriately permittable (project check) 
  • All diversions (LNFH, IPID, COIC) appropriately screened (project check) 
[1]Based on a review of historic stream gage records, the existing average low flow in historic channel in nondrought years is 65 cfs (16 of the most recent 20 years) and average drought low flows is 20 cfs (2001, 2003, 2005, 2015). To meet Guiding Principle flow targets, approximately 40 cfs in project flow benefit is needed.