Innovative fish passage meant to revive Yakima River Basin salmon opens in Cle Elum

(The Center Square) — U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland was in Cle Elum, Wash., on Wednesday to highlight federally funded salmon restoration projects.

Secretary Haaland joined Gov. Jay Inslee and state, local and Native American tribal leaders to celebrate the opening of almost 30 miles of critical habitat for salmon and steelhead populations above Cle Elum Dam via the completion of the juvenile fish passage facility.

The goal of the project is to open up habitat to spring Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, steelhead and bull trout.

The Yakima River Basin has seen declining fish populations over the years, partly due to dam construction that hindered fish migration for spawning. 

According to officials, the newly completed helix chamber is a one-of-a-kind solution to that problem.

Using a tiered system with multiple levels, officials can adjust which entry point the fish are coming through as the water rises and falls. This allows fish previously trapped when water levels in the lake are low to move safely into the river.

The fish are guided through the facility via a waterslide-like structure, ensuring a safe exit downstream.

A time lapse video, posted by Garco Construction, the company contracted to build the fish passage facility, is linked here.

In her remarks, Haaland announced a $16 million investment for drought resilience in the Yakima River Basin courtesy of the Inflation Reduction Act, which included a total of $500 million for conservation efforts, along with ecosystem and habitat restoration for basins experiencing long-term drought.

The Bureau of Reclamation began testing the Cle Elum intake and the now-completed helix fish passage system last summer. It will allow sockeye salmon and other fish to go from Cle Elum Lake through the dam and onto the Cle Elum River.

In her remarks, Haaland touted the project as a model for conservation.

“The Yakama Nation Integrated Plan truly is a model for our future in how we balance conservation with water supply and economic needs,” she said. “These historic investments will support fish, farms and families who rely on this vital river, building resiliency and safeguarding future generations."

Inslee harkened back to 2013 when signing the Integrated Salmon Recovery Plan, the first bill he signed into law as governor. 

“This is something for the tribal people, but it’s for the non-tribal people as well,” the governor said.

Inslee went on to say of the state's iconic fish that “The salmon carry our hopes and our dreams on their back, and we now need to bring them back."

Inslee said the Climate Commitment Act, which caps and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from Washington's largest emitting sources and industries, is crucial for salmon recovery. 

“If you take one thing from my comments, I hope you’ll remember that the CCA is an instrumental source so we can do what we’ve done here,” Inslee said. “I consider this a matter of life and death. We are doing bypass surgery to give our salmon the gift of life."

Voters will decide the fate of the CCA this November via Initiative 2117, which would repeal the CCA and bar state agencies from imposing any type of program involving the trading of carbon tax credits. 

In addition to the juvenile fish passage, plans are underway for a facility to collect adult fish and transport them upstream via truck, further aiding their migration and spawning efforts.

Officials broke ground on that facility Wednesday.