Historic Multi-Million Dollar Agreement Powers Salmon Reintroduction Forward

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Published: Wednesday, 31 January 2024 17:32

Houston, we have lift-off.

In September, the Department of Interior announced a historic agreement that includes Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) providing $200 million over 20 years to advance the Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUTs) salmon reintroduction Phase 2 Implementation Plan (P2IP).

Further, the Bureau of Reclamation is providing the UCUTs $8 million over two years to support P2IP, including funding from their new WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program. Additionally, Cathy McMorris Rogers led securing $5 million dollars through congressional appropriations in FY23, and NOAA Fisheries awarded $1.1 million in Salmon Recovery grant funding. Lastly, the Washington State Legislature and Governor Inslee secured over $6 million in the 2022 Supplemental Budget and the 2023-2025 Biennium Budget. This long-term commitment of federal and state support is a key step to securing the future of salmon in the Upper Columbia River. 

P2IP will occur in a stepwise fashion over approximately 20 years. The first step focuses on the collection of baseline information regarding salmon survival and behavior in the blocked area as well as after they migrate to the ocean.  The tribes and state are also working to ramp up the availability of salmon for release in the blocked area, including hatchery-raised juveniles for tagging studies and surplus hatchery adult salmon for re-populating the spawning grounds.  Later steps will focus on the development of interim fish passage facilities and collecting data necessary to design permanent passage solutions.   

2024 efforts include:

  • continuation of an outmigration study to collect data on juvenile salmon behavior as they migrate downstream, and hauling adult salmon from hatcheries below Chief Joseph Dam to spawning areas in the blocked area.
  • First steps toward exploring and developing fish passage options.
  • Additional educational and cultural releases.
  • Increasing tribal capacity to take on the heavy and important lift of implementing the P2IP

The Forum looks forward to regularly reporting progress on this extraordinary effort.