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Estuary Habitat MOA with State of Washington
Sept. 16, 2009
The Columbia River estuary is recognized as a critical nursery for juvenile salmon on their way to sea. The action agencies have focused increased attention on the estuary, especially because estuary work benefits all 13 Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act.
An agreement signed between Washington and the action agencies today provides an additional $40.5 million for habitat restoration actions throughout the estuary. The pact reinforces the federal commitment behind a biological opinion for the operation of Columbia and Snake River hydroelectric dams, enhanced and endorsed by the Obama administration on Tuesday. The new MOA uses BPA funding to leverage additional federal funding through a Corps cost-sharing program for estuary habitat. The added funds will boost estuary habitat funding to unprecedented levels, providing extra assurance that actions to address fish survival will occur. The new MOA will work in concert with implementation of the 2008 FCRPS BiOp, and also supports BPA's implementation of the Council’s Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program.
Click on markers for description of new habitat projects in the MOA.
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