Funding

Needs Outweigh Resources

Funding for salmon recovery work in the mid-Columbia River region comes from a broad mix of sources. The Salmon Recovery Funding Board typically provides $2 million a year for habitat restoration and protection projects in the region, with increased amounts in 2022-2024. The Bonneville Power Administration funds habitat, monitoring, and hatchery programs in the Klickitat and Yakima Rivers basins under its program to mitigate the impact of federal dams in the Columbia River basin. The Department of Ecology and the Bureau of Reclamation have funded extensive habitat and water management improvement projects through the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Program and the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan. Floodplain restoration projects are being funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Ecology’s Floodplains by Design Program.

While these diverse funding sources are helping the region make great strides forward, more funding is needed to fully implement recovery plans.