Tuesday January 6, 2026
Northwest Public Broadcasting —
A small project at the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia rivers could make a big difference for salmon and the entire ecosystem.
“This is more important than just salmon returns. This is gonna greatly improve that whole ecosystem,” said Joe Blodgett, the Yakima-Klicktat Fisheries project manager for the Yakama Nation.
As the removal project kicked off Monday, a handful of onlookers watched from the shore as two excavators stripped trees and shoveled dirt from the causeway to Bateman Island. Crews will remove debris once the project is complete, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The corps awarded a $1.2 million contract to Pipkin Inc. for the removal project.