The Bureau of Reclamation recently announced a $2.7 million grant to improve the survival of coho salmon in the Klamath River Basin.
The 2021-2024 Klamath River Coho Restoration Grant Program will be managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which will fund activities and ventures to enhance the salmon’s natural populations, a Bureau of Reclamation press release said.
Klamath Basin Area Office Acting Area Manager Jared Bottcher said that the project hopes to bring back the species to their natural habitat in the area.
“Reclamation, along with our partners, is taking significant steps to restore habitat and coho salmon populations in the Lower Klamath Basin,” Bottcher said. “We are pleased to provide additional funds to this important grant program to continue our efforts. Through implementation of the grant program, reclamation has reaffirmed its commitment to restoring resilient coho salmon populations and their habitat in the Basin.”
The Klamath Coho Habitat Restoration Program had intended to allocate over $3 million in grants to protect the threatened Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) from 2015-2021, according to the release.
“The goal of this competitive grant program is to support restoration activities that have a direct benefit to Southern Oregon Northern California Coast coho salmon, a species listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Project types that will be given the highest priority include riparian and instream habitat restoration and improvements, barrier modification and fish passage improvement, fish screens, and water conservation,” the release said. “Program efforts will be focused on the mainstem of the Klamath River and tributaries between Klamath River mile 190 to the Klamath River estuary.”
Congress established the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in 1984 to bring interested parties together in developing conservation projects for imperiled species, waterways, and improve the landscape for wildlife. The foundation has received over $6.8 billion towards its efforts since inception, NFWF.org said.
