Twenty-five million dollars is being invested for fish habitat and facility improvements in the Sacramento River Valley. Photo courtesy of Bureau of Reclamation

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The Bureau of Reclamation on Oct. 17 announced the availability of $25 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for fish habitat and facility improvements in the Sacramento River Valley. This funding will complement the State of California’s Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program, which is working to increase river flows, restore ecosystems and strengthen water supply reliability across the state.

The rivers of the central valley support populations of fall-run Chinook, spring-run Chinook, winter-run Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. Due to water resources development, stream channel changes and other recent actions, historical salmon habitats have been reduced and modified. To address these challenges, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and America the Beautiful Challenge are helping to restore the river and safeguard species in the Sacramento River Valley, including through $2 million to support the removal of the Sunset Weir in Feather River and $1.5 million for floodplain and tidal wetland restoration in the Yolo Bypass of the Sacramento River. Today’s investments will further advance landscape-level restoration work along the river, safeguarding species and strengthening local water supplies.

 “This investment from the Inflation Reduction Act will help central valley communities, private organizations and tribes collaborate to improve fish habitat and facilities that support fish populations,” said Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “These projects are also expected to contribute to the work and partnership we have with the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors and the State of California to increase river flows and strengthen water supply reliability.”

This funding also builds upon an $81 million investment announced in May for water conservation and drought resilience south of Sacramento in the San Joaquin Valley. The Inflation Reduction Act includes an overall $550 million for domestic water supply projects and $4 billion for water conservation and ecosystem projects in the Colorado River Basin and other areas experiencing similar levels of long-term drought. To date, Reclamation has announced 222 drought mitigation and 16 domestic water supply projects from Inflation Reduction Act funding for a total of more than $2.5 billion. 

More information on this funding opportunity will be posted at Grants.gov and Reclamation’s Inflation Reduction Act webpage. Applicants must demonstrate an effort to mitigate impacts of drought in the Sacramento Valley while providing measurable benefits to the fish habitat like creating new side channels for improved reproduction habitat or creating passage to and from disconnected habitats.