WASHINGTON — The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced will use $39.4 million to fund nine projects aimed to remove fish passage barriers in Washington.
The projects include removing the barriers like small dams, as well as opening salmon and steelhead migration routes and allowing more salmon to return to their spawning grounds.
All projects will be led by and/or completed with region tribes.
According to U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, the funds come from the 'NOAA Fish Passage through Barrier Removal' grant program. Cantwell said, the program is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
"Habitat restoration works, and these projects will help boost the salmon and steelhead runs our tribes and our regional economy depend on,” said Sen. Cantwell. “These grants will make lasting and meaningful improvements to habitat, including for Puget Sound Chinook stocks that orcas need to thrive. Removing fish barriers will also boost endangered Upper Columbia River Chinook and threatened Upper Columbia steelhead.”
The organizations receiving funding include:
In the north Puget Sound, the Tulalip Tribes are receiving $9.2 million to remove fish passage barriers at streams in the Stillaguamish and Snohomish Basins.
Skagit River System Cooperative will receive $3.3 million to remove/ replace seven culverts that block passages in the Skagit and Samish watersheds.
In south Puget Sound, the Squaxin Island Tribe will receive $6.4 million to remove the 5th Avenue Dam across the mouth of the Deschutes River which once created Capitol Lake.
According to the tribe, removing the dam and restoring the estuary will help recover habitat for Puget Sound Chinook.
The Nisqually Indian Tribe will receive $5.8 million to remove and replace a culvert that is blocking passage on Brighton Creek.
On the Olympic Peninsula, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe will receive $2.2 million to allow the tribe to improve juvenile steelhead passage at the floating Hood Canal Bridge.
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will receive $1.4 million to help remove the last barrier in the Ennis Creek watershed by replacing a culvert under a city road in Port Angeles with a bridge.
According to the tribe, the bridge will benefit Puget Sound steelhead, bull trout and Chinook salmon.
In Central Washington, Yakama Nation will receive up to $6.1 million over three years. They will receive $3 million in the first year to put in a bridge to fix a barrier on Brush Creek in the Klickitat Watershed. This project will help the Mid-Columbia River steelhead.
In Southwestern Washington, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe will receive $1.9 million to remove the last barrier and an abandoned railroad crossing on Ostrander Creek.
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