OLYMPIA, Wash.-The State Department of Ecology announced $386 million in grants and loans for clean water projects across the state on Feb. 2, including one on the lower Yakima River.
The announced funding will support communities through Ecology’s Water Quality Combined Funding Program, which works to upgrade wastewater treatment and sewer systems and manage polluted stormwater.
According to the Department of Ecology, 90 percent of the Water Quality Program receives is passed through to local communities for environmental and infrastructure projects.
The Water Quality Program is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and through a mix of state and local funds dedicated to water quality.
The Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group is one of 32 projects statewide getting funding for nonpoint pollution projects.
Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group:
Has a draft offer in place for $357,000 to work in partnership with a private landowner to install native riparian plants and a grass filter strip on seven acres along a 1,500 stream-foot section of the lower Yakima River. The water quality improvements will benefit human health, as well as improve habitat for fish.
