WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Bureau of Reclamation, NOAA Fisheries, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced June 9, 2016, the award of 12
grants from the Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Grant Program. The restoration program will serve to enhance the survival and recovery of the
Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast (SONCC) coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), a species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species
Act.
The 12 grants announced today leverage over $1.37 million of funding from Reclamation with an additional $2.35 million in matching funds, for a total
conservation impact of over $3.7 million that will enhance the survival and recovery of the threatened SONCC coho salmon. SONCC coho salmon are listed as
threatened due to a range of limiting factors that have reduced the amount and quality of habitat available. Spanning 40 populations, SONCC coho salmon can
be found in Coos, Douglas, Curry, Josephine, Jackson and Klamath counties in Oregon, and Del Norte, Siskiyou, Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Lake and Glenn
counties in California.
Projects supported by the grant funds will focus on instream enhancements such as adding large woody debris and brush bundles in streams, creating off
channel habitats and the improvement of salmon refuge sites to increase the duration and extent of cold-water plumes. Other projects will address existing
fish passage barriers - including small dams, fords and culverts - to create permanent access to spawning and rearing habitats.
The Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Grant Program builds on partnerships with Reclamation, NOAA Fisheries and the California Department of Fish and
Wildlife. The program is funded by Reclamation and administered by NFWF.
“For 2016, Reclamation was able to contribute over $1.37 million in funds that will be used to implement coho habitat restoration actions within the
Klamath River and its tributaries," said David Murillo, Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region. “The restoration program demonstrates Reclamation’s
commitment to threatened and endangered species recovery and highlights the federal, state, tribal and community partnerships in the Klamath Basin working
toward implementation of projects that offer direct benefit to the coho salmon."
“Approximately one quarter of all individual populations of SONCC coho salmon exist in the Klamath Basin," said Barry Thom, Deputy Regional Administrator
for NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region. “These 12 projects will address high-priority recovery actions that have been defined in our Recovery Plan and will
also benefit the tribal and restoration communities within the Klamath River Basin."
“Coho need access to high-quality spawning and rearing habitat to thrive, and the grants announced today will support on-the-ground efforts to ensure the
recovery of this amazing fish species," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO at NFWF. “Improvements to these streams and rivers will benefit not
only salmon, but also the many communities that depend on the freshwater flows of California."
. For additional information on the grants please contact Andrew Purkey, 503-417-6009.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
