Chelan County PUD is collaborating with local, state, and
federal governments, tribes, and private landowners to restore
and protect salmon and steelhead habitat in the mid-Columbia
and its tributaries.
As part of the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Tributary
Program, the utility funds projects to help protect and enhance
salmon and steelhead spawning, rearing and migration. These
projects will help the PUD meet its HCP commitment of
“no-net-impact” on migrating fish.
The funding area includes the Columbia River watershed from
Chief Joseph Dam tailrace to Rock Island Dam tailrace (called
the Upper Columbia Region).
Potential projects could include, but are not limited to, bank
and shoreline restoration, removing migration barriers,
enhancing stream flows, native riparian plantings, wetland
restoration, constructing in-stream habitat structures,
acquiring conservation easements or other means to preserve
critical flood plain properties, and reconnecting relic side
channels to provide rearing habitat.
Any individual or group can propose a tributary project through
either of two funding options. The General Salmon Habitat
Program will fund projects costing $100,000 or more. The Small
Projects Program is for projects costing less than $100,000 and
is designed to encourage community groups working in
cooperation with landowners.