TOPPENISH, Wash. – State, local and Tribal leaders met with U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland at the Cle Elum Dam on Wed., July 24 to celebrate the opening of nearly 30 miles of habitat for salmon and steelhead populations.
The Cle Elum Fish Passage Project began in 2015 and hopes to restore salmon and steelhead populations in the Cle Elum River, which was once one of the largest sockeye salmon runs in the lower 48 states.
Haaland was joined by Governor Jay Inslee, Senator Maria Cantwell, leaders from the Yakama Nation, Lower Elwha Klallam and Puyallup Tribes and more, along with firefighters from the Yakama Nation that worked on the Slide Ranch Fire in White Swan.
“Today’s announcements demonstrate why the Yakima River Basin Integrated Plan is the premier model for uniting diverse stakeholders behind a plan to protect salmon and agricultural communities,” said Sen.Cantwell in a press release. “Investing in our aquifer recharge projects and improved water delivery strengthens the Basin’s over $4 billion ag economy, and the completion of the fish passage facility at Cle Elum Dam has us one step closer to opening nearly 30 miles of habitat and restoring one of the country’s largest sockeye salmon runs.”
At the meeting, Haaland also announced a $16 million investment into four Yakima River Basin projects based on drought resistance. The funding comes from the Inflation Reduction Act which includes a total of $500 million going towards conservation efforts.
Of the funding, $6 million will go to the Yakama Nation for its Fan Shallow Aquifer Recharge project to improve flows in the Toppenish Creek for steelhead and other fish.
$5 million is going to the Washington State Department of Ecology, $3.4 million is going to the Roza Irrigation District and $1.6 million is going to the Kittitas Reclamation District to improve drought resilience.
More information on each Yakima River Basin project can be found on the Bureau of Reclamation’s website.
