12.14.22

Olympic Peninsula Receives $18.7 Million to Remove Fish Barriers, Restore Salmon Habitat

Cantwell, Kilmer celebrate NOAA grants aimed at boosting salmon and orca populations by funding fish barrier removal projects such as small obsolete dams, culverts, and other blockages; Project funding comes from salmon recovery investments secured by Cantwell, Kilmer in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the agency will award $18,699,257 to Tribes, communities, and local governments across the Olympic Peninsula for 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.

In total, NOAA will fund 10 projects across Washington state totaling $39.8 million. Together, these projects will help recover habitats for endangered migratory fish and support the sustainability of commercial, recreational, and Tribal fisheries. A full statewide list of projects can be read HERE.

“These first projects from the NOAA’s Restoring Fish Passage Through Barrier Removal Program will jumpstart salmon recovery on the Olympic Peninsula by removing salmon-blocking culverts and other stream obstructions,” said Senator Cantwell. “Barriers like obsolete dams and impassable culverts prevent salmon from migrating to their spawning grounds in the Quillayute, Quinault and Lower Chehalis watersheds. These first projects will make real progress in salmon recovery, including boosting stocks important to Southern resident orcas and coastal ecosystems, as well as commercial, recreational, and Tribal fishing communities.”

“Through these awards, the federal government is moving to restore fish passages and provide critical access to upstream habitat. That’s critically important if we’re going to recover the salmon populations that are so vital to our region’s economy, culture, and way of life,” said U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06). “I'm grateful for Senator Cantwell's partnership and for the support of all those who know how important this effort is to protecting clean water and recovering salmon populations in our region.”

Sen. Cantwell, who serves as chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, championed key investments to support salmon restoration and resiliency in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), securing $2.855 billion for salmon and ecosystem restoration programs, the single largest investment in salmon recovery in history. Sen. Cantwell also championed and secured funding specifically for Tribes, to allow for NOAA to solicit proposals for Tribal projects in addition to national fish passage barrier removal projects. This helped ensure Tribes had access to funding needed to address priority salmon restoration projects across Washington state.

Included in the BIL funding, Sen. Cantwell and Rep. Kilmer, who serves as Co-Chair of the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus, championed $1 billion for a new program aimed at removing, replacing, or restoring culverts, the first federal program devoted to culvert restoration. Sen. Cantwell and Rep. Kilmer also secured $172 million for the NOAA Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, a grant program that provides funding to States and Tribes to protect, conserve, and restore West Coast salmon. Also included in the BIL funding, Sen. Cantwell and Rep. Kilmer secured $89 million for the Puget Sound Geographic Program, which provides critical support to state, local, and Tribal governments to implement projects that improve water quality, enhance fish passage, and restore salmon habitat.

Across the country, NOAA announced nearly $105 million for 36 fish passage projects this year, as well as an additional $61 million in future year funding under the BIL. This year, Washington state received the largest allocation in the nation in both the amount of money received and the number of projects funded.

The following organizations on the Olympic Peninsula received funding for fish passage projects.

  • $10.39 million for culvert removal in the Quillayute and Quinault watersheds
    • Wild Salmon Center and partners will be awarded $10,396,280 to design, permit, and remove nine culverts on county and Tribal reserve roads. The project is part of the Coldwater Connection Campaign, which is a partnership between non-profits, stakeholders, and state, federal, and local agencies to reconnect 125 miles of high-quality salmon and steelhead streams in Washington’s coastal areas.
    • The project was developed with the Quileute and Quinault Tribes and will increase tribal capacity for fish passage restoration. Culvert replacements in the Quillayute and Quinault watersheds will improve access for native migratory salmonids to their historic range while improving the durability of public infrastructure.
    • Project partners include the Coast Salmon Partnership, Trout Unlimited, the Quileute Tribe, the Quinault Indian Nation, the Hoh Tribe and others.

“We thank the entire Pacific Northwest delegation, especially Senators Cantwell and Murray, and Representative Kilmer for securing generational federal investments that can change the trajectory of salmon and orca recovery in the Pacific Northwest," said Guido Rahr, CEO of Wild Salmon Center. “We are at a critical juncture for these species and the Tribes, economies, ecosystems, and local communities that depend on them throughout the region. This investment builds resilience in our communities and our watersheds, ensuring that wild salmon and steelhead can access cold water needed to thrive in the face of a changing climate." 

  • $7.07 million for fish barrier replacements on the Olympic Peninsula
    • Trout Unlimited and partners will be awarded $7,071,627 to replace eight fish passage barriers as part of the Coldwater Connection Campaign.
    • The eight barriers were prioritized using a decision support tool that evaluated the potential ecological benefits of removing more than 500 fish passage barriers in the Olympic Peninsula. The culverts will be replaced with structures that fish are able to swim through to improve the resilience of salmon populations and transportation infrastructure.
    • The effort will open more than 7 miles of spawning and rearing habitat for commercially and recreationally important salmon species. Funding will also support hiring staff and support capacity building with the Hoh Tribe.
    • Project partners include the Wild Salmon Center, the Coast Salmon Partnership, the Quileute Tribe, the Quinault Indian Nation, the Hoh Tribe and others.

“Trout Unlimited’s ongoing partnership with NOAA is helping us recover critical populations of salmon, steelhead, and trout and building resilience against the growing impacts of climate change for fish and communities. The new investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, made possible by the outstanding leadership of Senator Cantwell and Representative Kilmer, only accelerates this crucial work,” said Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “This work is improving fish passage, but also helping rural communities by providing family-wage jobs, improving water quality, and helping prevent road failures and flood damage.”

  •  $1.23 million for Hoquiam River Dam removal feasibility assessment in the Lower Chehalis Watershed
    • The City of Hoquiam and partners will be awarded $1,231,350 to assess the feasibility of removing the West Fork of the Hoquiam River Dam in the Lower Chehalis Watershed.
    • The project will involve developing conceptual designs for dam removal and designing, permitting, and installing groundwater wells that will be tested to serve as an alternative water source for the City of Hoquiam.
    • Removal of the dam would open 13 miles of habitat for Chinook, coho, and steelhead, and would improve instream flows in the watershed.
    • If the wells can provide a reliable source of alternative water, and the dam removal is found to be feasible, residents of the City of Hoquiam will have a more reliable water supply, decreased likelihood of water supply contamination, reduced dam and fishway maintenance and repair costs, and updated infrastructure.
    • The project has been prioritized by Chehalis Basin restoration partners and Tribes due to its potential to provide access to high quality habitat that will be more resilient to climate change because of the cooler waters, there. Cool water is critical to salmon survival.
    • Project partners include the Chehalis Basin Partnership and the Chehalis Basin Habitat Workgroup.

“This project provides tremendous long-term benefits for the citizens of Hoquiam, the environment and our critical salmon stocks,” said Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay. “When this project is completed we will remove the second worst fish barrier in the entire Chehalis Basin Watershed opening up 13 miles of new salmon habitat, while also providing a new, safe, reliable drinking water source for our community.”  The City of Hoquiam has been working on this project since 2009 and hopes to reach completion by the end of 2027, subject to future grant applications for construction.  This specific NOAA grant will allow the City to complete predesign of the dam removal and groundwater sources and initiate water right permitting.”

A full list of grant recipients nationwide can be found HERE.

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