Work will metformin hcl 1000 mg side effects continue for several years at the Beebe Springs Natural Area, but the wildlife habitat viewing area is open and ready to tell its story.

About 200 acres of former orchard is being returned to its natural state as habitat for all kinds of wildlife, including fish, birds, beavers and deer.

The wildlife area officially opened last May, but will become increasingly more user friendly this year as the third phase of the six-phase project is completed, said Dennis Beich, regional director of the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The department is the lead agency on the project that is funded by state, local and federal salmon recovery funds.

Most of the work is being done through contracts with private consultants and local construction companies, Beich said.

One of the project’s main objectives has been to create local jobs, he said.

A pedestrian bridge has been built over meandering Beebe Springs Creek, leading to a self-guided trail system around the area and along the Columbia River.

The creek bed itself was redesigned in previous phases of the project.

A straight agricultural ditch was transformed into a more natural, winding 1,800-foot stream with several bends ideal for salmon spawning.

Several sculptures by American Indian artist Smoker Marchand will be installed later this year to welcome visitors to the area.

Interpretive signs will be added along the trail at several viewing platforms during this phase to help users understand how native plants attract and nurture resident wildlife.

Since the property had been an orchard for many years, much restoration has been required.

Volunteers from the Lake Chelan Sportsman Association and other local groups have done a lot of the replanting of shrub-steppe plant species.

Beich said it will take several years for all of the plants to grow and fully restore the area.

The next phase of the project — unfunded at this point — will include construction of an underpass beneath Highway 97 to the Chelan Fish Hatchery.

“We want to show how fish hatchery production and natural fish spawning work together,” Beich said.

Other plans for the site include placement of picnic tables, development of a American Indian cultural site and a boat launch for canoes and kayaks.

The natural area is open from 8 a.m. until dusk.

Visitors stopping for more than a few minutes should have a vehicle use permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The annual permit comes with any fishing or hunting license or can be purchased separately for $11 at most places hunting and fishing licenses are sold.

(Kathryn Stevens photo) The western shore of the Columbia River just north of Beebe Bridge has been transformed into a habitat area for fish and observation area for humans this past year. The project is still under way.