$9.25 million coming to Josephine County for Rogue River watershed work

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced Josephine County is one of six to receive millions from the U.S. Department of Transportation for culverts to encourage fish passage.

According to the press release, $9.25 million is going to the State of Oregon Culvert Aquatic Organism Passage Project so the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife can replace 11 culverts in the Rogue River watershed. These repairs are said to improve habitat connectivity for Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, cutthroat trout, and steelhead.

“The health of communities across Oregon goes hand-in-hand with the health of our state’s waterways, fish habitats, and infrastructure,” Merkley said. “The federal investments for these projects will support climate-resilient infrastructure, reconnect fish habitats, and improve critical stormwater systems. All of this helps ensure access to clean and reliable water infrastructure—access every community in every corner of our state deserves.”

The full list of grant funds is available below:

· $9,250,000 to the State of Oregon Culvert Aquatic Organism Passage Project so that Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife can replace eleven culverts in the Rogue River watershed in Josephine County in critical need of repair to improve habitat connectivity for Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, cutthroat trout, and steelhead.

· $2,348,000 for Lane County Public Works for the Shaw Creek Crossing Culvert Replacement, including new fish passage at Shaw Creek, a tributary to the main stem of the Siuslaw River, opening up nearly five miles of salmonid spawning habitat.

· $1,430,480 to the City of Troutdale for the Beaver Creek Fish Passage Restoration, replacing existing Troutdale Road culvert and fish ladder on Beaver Creek with a new at-grade bridge.

· $1,492,800 to Tillamook County to replace two fish passage barriers on Brickyard Road at Mill Creek, part of the Salmon SuperHwy strategic effort to restore 95% of historic habitat connectivity for salmon, steelhead and Pacific lamprey, while reducing flooding and improving public safety in the flood-prone coastal community of Tillamook County.

· $800,000 to Coos County for Palouse Slough Primary Tide Gate Upgrade to restore passage for aquatic species in the Palouse Subbasin.

· $1,490,792 to the Coquille Indian Tribe for the Smith River Basin Priority Passage Projects to improve passage to spawning and rearing habitat for Chinook Salmon, Oregon Coastal Coho Salmon, Oregon Coast Steelhead, and Cutthroat Trout, Pacific Lamprey as well as resident populations of Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout, Western Brook Lamprey, and other native fish species.

· $1,490,320 to Clackamas County for culvert near Rhododendron to prevent flooding by replacing small culverts with a modular 20-foot clear span bridge over Conway Creek and provide access to upstream spawning and rearing habitat for Coho salmon and steelhead.

· $617,600 to Tillamook County for the Myrtle Creek Salmon SuperHwy Fish Passage Restoration Project, replacing one fish passage barrier on Kilchis River Road to restore habitat for Oregon Coast Coho salmon as well as Chinook salmon, Chum salmon, Steelhead trout, Pacific lamprey, and Coastal Cutthroat trout.

· $388,800 to Lincoln County for Anderson-Drift Creek, a major tributary of the Siletz River estuary, to design the replacement of three existing culverts to prevent flooding.