Spring and Snipes Creeks
Overview
Snipes Creek enters the Yakima River at river mile 41.8.
The Snipes Creek drainage is approximately 22,200 acres.
Spring Creek is a tributary to Snipes Creek entering at approximately river mile 0.1
The Spring Creek drainage is approximately 27,490 acres.
The total watershed drains approximately 50,266 acres.
The USGS 12-digit Hydrologic Unit Code based on the 2024 Watershed Boundary Set for this area is Spring Creek,170300031005; Snipes Creek,170300031006
Habitat Conditions
Fish Use
Spawning Surveys
In spawning surveys during October 1999 and November 2000, Monk (2001)[1] identified 35 salmon redds in 1999 and 69 redds in 2000. He also identified a number of 20 live fish and 29 carcasses during his November 2000 survey. He determined all but one of the live fish and carcasses were Coho salmon, with the one carcass being a fall Chinook salmon.
He also was unable to find any redds upstream of the Hess Road culvert on Spring Creek, concluding that it was an adult passage barrier.
Monk also surveyed lower Spring Creek and Snipes Creek in the spring of 2001 for steelhead. He found one small redd in Snipes Creek and determined it was likely a rainbow trout redd from the small size of the redd. Electrofishing Surveys
Electrofishing Surveys
In 2000 and 2001 Monk (2001) performed electrofishing surveys on Snipes Creek and Spring Creek.
Upper Spring Creek above the potential fish passage barrier at Hess Road, they sampled speckled dace, brown trout, redside shiners.
The lower portion of Spring Creek and Snipes Creek were also surveyed and they sampled Coho salmon, speckled dace, rainbow trout/steelhead trout, carp, longnose dace, northern pikeminnow, largescale sucker, bridgelip sucker, and smallmouth bass.
Resources/References
Snipes Creek 2020 surface water monitoring results, PDF link
Citations
- ↑ Monk, Patrick. Fish Surveys in the Roza-Sunnyside Board of Joint Control Irrigation Drain Network: Summary of Major Findings for 2001. 2001.