BIL funding championed by Murray, Cantwell will help restore rivers, protect wildlife, and boost salmon and orca populations
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced a total of $2,665,400 in funding from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – National Fish Passage Program for two habitat restoration projects: Smith Creek, near Willapa Bay, and Toppenish Creek, on the Yakama Indian Reservation.
The funding for these two grants was secured by both Senators Murray and Cantwell in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
“When it came to writing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, finding ways to save our salmon and restore critical habitat was a top priority for me,” said Senator Murray. “These fish passage projects will be key to saving precious species—including our salmon—and restoring wetlands and other vital habitat near Willapa Bay and on Toppenish Creek. They’ll make a real difference to the communities who rely on these habitats and help sure we’re living up to our Tribal treaty obligations. I’ll keep working to make sure Washington state’s needs continue to be a priority for the administration in implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
“By removing culverts from Smith Creek and constructing fish passage at Lower Toppenish, we’re giving salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey the best chance to recover and thrive, as well as the ecosystems and economies that rely on their survival,” said Senator Cantwell. “These restoration projects will help transform critical watersheds in Pacific and Yakima counties and build on the historic investments for fish passage barrier removal included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
$1,050,000 for Smith Creek Tidal Fish Barrier and Estuary Habitat Restoration Project:
This funding will help remove two culverts and replace them with a bridge at the mouth of Smith Creek near its junction with the Naselle River in Willapa Bay. Removing these culverts will reopen 8.7 miles of freshwater stream spawning habitat and reopen 140 acres of critical habitat for many species, including salmon and Pacific lamprey. Other species that will benefit from this fish passage barrier removal include coastal cutthroat trout, federally threatened green sturgeon, and birds that rely on healthy fish populations for food like bald eagle and peregrine falcon. Willapa Bay is an important ecosystem that supports a wide variety of fish, birds, and other wildlife. The replacement bridge will be built to withstand predicted sea level rise, protecting community and coastal infrastructure into the future.
$1,615,400 for Lower Toppenish Creek Fish Passage Restoration:
This funding will remove two diversion dams and a non-functional fish screen and replace them with fish passage structures on Lower Toppenish Creek on the Yakama Indian Reservation. Removing these barriers will provide a clearer migration path to allow Pacific lamprey and threatened steelhead to access their spawning grounds. This project will also restore and enhance more than 450 acres of wetland habitat on the floodplain of Toppenish Creek, reopen 100 miles of stream, and reopen five acres of critical habitat. These floodplain wetlands are invaluable wildlife habitat for both migratory and resident species. Toppenish Creek is culturally significant to the Yakama Nation and the area serves as an educational site to retain Tribal culture. Yakama Tribal members also hunt on the properties, and gather traditional foods and materials such as Wapato, tule, currants, chokecherries, willow, and dogwood.
Throughout their time in the Senate, Sens. Murray and Cantwell have been staunch advocates for protecting and strengthening critical salmon populations. Sens. Murray and Cantwell secured a historic $2.85 billion investment in salmon and ecosystem restoration programs, including $400 million for a new community-based restoration program focused on removing fish passage barriers in the BIL.
Nationally, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services announced $35 million to support 39 projects across 22 states. The 2023 projects announced represent the second year of a five-year commitment, and build on the 40 projects announced last year. The 2022 announcement included projects in Grays Harbor, Yakima, Pacific, and Clallam counties. The National Fish Passage Program received $200 million over five years from the BIL. This funding more than tripled the annual amount of funding available for fish passage projects under the program.
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