Federal infrastructure bill includes $1 billion for culvert grants

August 18, 2021 1:30 am
Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer Evan Lewis, Special Projects Manager, King Country Fish Passage Restoration Program (right) shows example of a culvert in need of repair at Carkeek Park in Seattle to U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer.
Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer Evan Lewis, Special Projects Manager, King Country Fish Passage Restoration Program (right) shows example of a culvert in need of repair at Carkeek Park in Seattle to U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer.

The national Infrastructure and Jobs Act recently passed by the U.S. Senate includes $1 billion for the first-ever national grant program established to specifically address culvert impacts to anadromous fish.

U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell were in Seattle’s Carkeek Park on Monday to tout the program, along with King County Executive Dow Constantine.

“In our region deteriorating infrastructure and failing culverts have long had a negative impact on water quality and have threatened the salmon that are so important to our economy and identity,” said Kilmer. “But today we have good news. By securing new dedicated funding for culvert restoration, the federal government is moving to restore fish passages and provide critical access to upstream habitat.”

Cantwell said grant money could be put to good use correcting old culverts and crossings that blocked fish passage.

“We need these culverts, these barriers, these problems removed so that we can enhance habitats and so we can restore fish passage,” said Cantwell. “Let’s put dollars towards correcting these past problems. Why? Because salmon are counting on it, and if we’re going to have healthy habitats and streams and restore the salmon populations, we have to clear these blockages.”

Culverts can be barriers to fish passage for a number of reasons, including when water flows too fast, the water in the pipe is too shallow, or the pipes hover above the connecting stream making a little “waterfall” in or out of the culverts. If culverts are impassable, migrating salmon will perish despite other conservation interventions.

There is more than $4 billion in culvert restoration and repair needed in Washington state alone, according to a statement from Kilmer’s office.

“I’m glad we were able to secure important federal investments to help bolster salmon populations throughout the Pacific Northwest, like money for culvert repair, the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, and important habitat restoration efforts,” said U.S Sen. Patty Murray in a statement released Aug. 10.

The senate-passed infrastructure bill includes a $2.855 billion investment in salmon recovery and ecosystem restoration programs, as well as tens of billions of dollars allocated for water infrastructure. That includes $1 billion for the culvert grant program, $172 million for NOAA’s Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, $400 million in fish passage barrier removal grants, and money for NOAA habitat restoration programs and EPA water quality programs.

A statement from Murray’s office said the competitive $1 billion culvert grant program will be administered by the Department of Transportation in consultation with NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.