Eagle Creek project among 23 salmon restoration projects to be awarded federal funding
Funding will pay to remove culverts that block salmon from habitat
In August, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, announced a total of $58 million in funding for 23 projects for the removal of fish passage barriers like small dams and culverts, to open up salmon migration routes and allow more salmon to return to their spawning grounds.
Among the projects is the Eagle Creek Fish Passage Restoration Project near Leavenworth. Chelan County Natural Resources was awarded $744,804 to replace five culverts in lower Eagle Creek between River Mile (RM) 0.4 and RM 0.6 and open up 750 meters (0.5 RMs) of ESA-listed species habitat to the next upstream barrier located at RM 0.9.
The Chelan County application is part of a watershed scale coordinated effort spanning 27 years to restore accessibility to 20 miles of ESA-listed steelhead and spring Chinook habitat as well as coho habitat in the Chumstick Sub-Watershed. All five culvert crossings are located on private driveways with distances ranging from 54 meters to 9 meters from Eagle Creek Road.
The funding comes from the Department of Transportation’s National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program, which Cantwell created and passed through her Commerce Committee with overwhelming bipartisan support.
"Washingtonians are going to see more salmon coming back to rivers all across the Evergreen state,” Cantwell said in a press release. “The 23 projects funded by this historic first round of National Culvert Grant awards will restore miles of salmon and steelhead habitat, helping revitalize communities that depend on these iconic fish for their livelihoods, recreation, and Treaty rights.
“Projects range from opening up streams below aging rail infrastructure along Puget Sound, to building new bridges in Skamania County and on Bainbridge Island, to creating new estuary habitats in Bellingham and Port Orchard. Combined, these investments will help revitalize critical watersheds that Chinook, coho, chum, and steelhead rely on, and boost the ecosystems and orcas that depend on robust salmon returns.”
The National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program builds on the additional $2 billion to support fish passage included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will specifically help communities remove and repair culverts found under roads.
Historically, culverts were not constructed in a manner to ensure fish passage. These historic structures are especially problematic for coastal and Tribal communities that depend on thriving fish populations for their Treaty Rights, as well as for the regional economy and way of life in the Pacific Northwest.
All 23 projects awarded in Washington state were fully funded. Of the 23 total awards, 16 went to local projects, six to Tribal projects, and one was awarded to WSDOT. The projects will improve a total of 46 fish passage barriers across the state. Nationally, DOT awarded $195 million through this first round of grant program funding. Washington state received over a quarter of the nationally awarded funding, the most of any state.
More projects will have the opportunity to receive DOT National Culvert Removal Grant awards in future funding rounds.
Last Updated: 08/31/2023 04:22 PM
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The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
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Assessor's Office Community Meeting: Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee
Posted by: Chelan County Assessor
Chelan County Assessor Wes Cornelius invites property owners and all interested parties to attend one of four community meetings scheduled this spring throughout the county.