Beginning in 2017, the North Central Washington Audubon Society (NCWAS) began promoting ecological and social improvements in the Horan Natural Area. We studied the area’s history, explored earlier studies, and established connections with key Chelan County PUD (land owners) and Washington State Park personnel (area managers). We walked through the Horan frequently and engaged others along the way. We learned about the diverse views people have about what the Horan area is and how they relate to it.
The Horan is unique within the Wenatchee Valley. One hundred acres located alongside the two largest rivers in the area, the Wenatchee and Columbia and linked to many developed parks by the Apple Capital Loop Trail. It’s the only pseudo-wild area in the valley.
The place is amazingly diverse and people visiting the area consider it valuable and enjoyable. Quiet moments are possible even though you are flanked by a city’s hustle. A variety of birds sing and pose for viewing and photographs. Deer wander throughout the area. Runners pass by quickly, usually with a nod or quick wave of acknowledgment. Spiders and beetles forage on the viewpoints’ wooden rails. Native cottonwood, dogbane, and milkweed respond to each season, providing habitat for perching, foraging, and nesting.
NCWAS attended numerous public meetings to provide input about the possible improvements listed in a “vision paper”- return water to the ponds, develop a plan to reduce invasive plant species and promote native species, promote understanding of the Horan through bilingual education materials, and highlight/honor the significant history of Native Americans throughout time. We returned to these themes repeatedly.
One might ask, “how successful have we been?” Is a meaningful amount of water flowing into the ponds? Have invasive plant populations been reduced? Are native plants expanding and doing well? Do we see see evidence of efforts to inform and educate visitors about indigenous history? Are under-served communities enthusiastically welcomed to the area?
The answer to all these questions is, unfortunately, “no.”
That’s truthful – but rather depressing.
And yet, good things happen. The City of Wenatchee recently re-introduced stormwater runoff to the Horan. This came after a decade of environmental review, permitting, and design of water quality treatments prior to water physically entering the Horan. During a period of extended rainfall, the stormwater system directed a substantial amount of water to the Horan in December 2025. Over a period of weeks, the ponds responded. Standing water expanded slowly in the ponds closest to the inflow.
Flows in the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers also increased because of the heavy December precipitation. Groundwater associated with the higher river levels helped support the surface water inflow to the ponds. Jointly, the high river levels and stormwater inflow resulted in the first visible, ponded water in years. Vegetation responded and, today, the ponds are covered with cattails and other wetland plants.
As a reward for the ponds standing water, Red-winged Blackbirds appeared and began to nest. These birds offer proof that having water and riparian vegetation result in a cascade of ecological benefits. To add to this success, two Virginia Rails were recently heard (July 2026) in the pond-side cattails along the trail. It is unlikely that they would have been in the area without their preferred wetland, riparian habitat.
Another high point in 2026 was the return of adult Bald eagles to the nest in the Black cottonwood gallery in the northern part of the Horan. Their use of the nest was cause for celebration after a couple of years when the nest went unused. Observers noted that the birds were incubating and, eventually, feeding young. But wait, there’s more. Two eagle chicks were rescued from a nest on a high-tension power tower and transplanted in the Horan nest – while the adult eagles were caring for their chick. Remarkably, the adults seemed to accept the new eaglets without any interruption to their normal behavior. The Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine produced a very nice YouTube documentary of the rescue and transplant operation (click here). The Horan native cottonwoods provided the base for this remarkable event, proving their value for a wide variety of bird species – from kinglets to eagles.
Audubon’s efforts to improve ecological conditions in the Horan have publicly elevated the importance of the Horan at a time when the local population is growing and recreational use of publicly available lands is increasing. The 100-acre Horan area will become increasingly important as use increases. It is unfortunate that the Chelan PUD has stepped away from actively finding a sustainable supply of water to fill and support the ponds that they dug in 1990. It is equally unfortunate that the Washington State Parks managers seem to be leaning heavily toward turning the Natural Area into another developed recreation site, aggressively mowing roadside and riparian vegetation, much of it native and culturally significant. Audubon members continue to walk through the Horan, talk to others as we go, and encourage respectful management to allow natural processes to function as they will. We continue to look for ecological improvements and educational opportunities in the area and hope that the PUD and State Park managers will recognize the area’s potential and treat it accordingly. For them to publicly wear a white hat as the result of purposeful, light-handed management seems a reasonable outcome and future goal.
