11.26.24

WA Coastal Communities to Receive Millions to Protect Shorelines, Rebuild Habitat

24 climate disasters with damages exceeding $1 billion each have struck U.S. in 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that six coastal resilience projects across Washington state will receive a total of $3.4 million in federal grants. The projects will help protect coastal communities from the impacts of storms and flooding and enhance natural habitat for fish and wildlife.

The grant funds come from the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF) and were awarded by a partnership of federal agencies and private companies. The NCRF invests in conservation projects that restore or expand natural features, which minimizes the impacts of storms and other naturally-occurring events on nearby coastal communities. Damaging storms are expected to become more frequent and intense in the coming years because of climate change.

“Washington’s beloved coastlines are on the front lines of climate change. These investments will help ensure that communities on the coast have the tools they need,” Sen. Cantwell said.

The following grants have been awarded to projects in Washington state:

  • $1,000,000 for the Washington Department of Enterprise Services to restore 260 acres of estuary habitat at the mouth of the Deschutes River in Olympia, Washington. This project will reduce flood risk, increase climate resilience, and improve habitat for salmon and other species while constructing a berm along the estuary restoration that will protect downtown and roadways from flooding and sea level rise – implementing a natural solution for flood mitigation to help keep those roadways open.

“Healthy, resilient estuary habitat is crucial for salmon to rebound. This project will restore 260 acres at the mouth of the Deschutes River in Olympia while protecting nearby roads from flooding and rising sea levels,” Sen. Cantwell said.

  • $999,000 for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to build program capacity to convert shorelines protected with seawalls or bulkheads to more resilient nature-based solutions in Puget Sound. This project will develop tools, engage communities, and design pilot projects to incentivize the conversion of armored shorelines to more natural solutions.

“Man-made infrastructure like seawalls are just one way to protect a shoreline. With this investment, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife will create a pilot project to incentivize communities with armored shorelines to explore more nature-based solutions such as eel grass,” Sen. Cantwell said. 

  • $499,500 for Olympia Ecosystems to reduce flood risk, increase summer water availability, and enhance salmonid rearing habitat in the lower Deschutes River. This project will develop design alternatives to restore natural processes through floodplain reconnection and enhancement, wetland restoration, and reforestation at scale.

“Restoring the natural floodplain means stabilizing the water supply for the nearby communities and native species that rely on a healthy Deschutes River,” Sen. Cantwell said.

  • $450,900 for the Pacific Conservation District to develop a preliminary design for erosion control and conduct a geotechnical assessment along the lower Columbia River to protect Highway 101 and public lands from present and future water levels. This project will protect U.S. Route 101, public parks, and private properties while improving conditions for shorebirds and salmon species.

“Highway 101 serves as a vital connector for our state, linking the entire West Coast to the Peninsula. Its proximity to the shore makes it particularly vulnerable to erosion and rising sea levels,” Sen. Cantwell said. “This funding will cover a geotechnical assessment near the lower Columbia River to ensure that this route remains accessible well into the future.”

  • $323,000 for the Wild Salmon Center to develop engineering designs to restore river flows and improve climate resilience for critical sockeye salmon habitat in Lake Ozette, Washington. This project will result in preliminary design and permitting requirements for the removal of an abandoned railroad segment and replacement of a fish barrier culvert, restoring access to one mile of stream and floodplain habitat.

“This investment will help the Wild Salmon Center make a plan to remove the abandoned railroad and fish blocking culvert cutting off crucial sockeye habitat near Lake Ozette,” Sen. Cantwell said.

  • $110,900 for the Makah Tribe to finalize designs for approximately 0.15 miles of beach habitat using a dynamic cobble berm, sand nourishment, and engineered log jams. This project will protect critical infrastructure from coastal erosion, provide long-term shoreline restoration, and improve the ecological, economic, and aesthetic functions of the site.

“This project will make this beach more resistant to erosion while making it more attractive to beachgoers --  helping to ensure that members of the Makah Tribe and visitors can continue to enjoy their shoreline for years to come,” Sen. Cantwell said

Earlier this year, WA coastal communities received an additional $75.5 million from NOAA for coastal resilience projects.

As chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Sen. Cantwell authored and secured a historic $3.31 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act to build climate resilience and support coastal communities. As part of that effort, Sen. Cantwell worked with the Department of Commerce and NOAA to create the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge competitive grant program and secure $575 million in funding for the program, which helps pay for infrastructure and habitat restoration projects in coastal communities and around the Great Lakes. Sen. Cantwell also fought to secure a historic $2.855 billion investment in salmon and ecosystem restoration programs, as well as tens of billions of dollars for water infrastructure, in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

According to NOAA, last year saw the nation’s highest number of billion-dollar disasters in a calendar year, with an unprecedented 28 weather and climate disasters leading to a combined total of more than $93 billion in losses.  So far, 2024 has the second-highest number of billion-dollar disasters, with 24 events by the end of October 2024.  From 1980 to 2023, the annual average – adjusted for inflation – was 8.5 billion-dollar disasters per year, but the average for 2019 to 2023 shot up to 20.4 events per year.

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