Wednesday February 1, 2023
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife —
In partnership with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking for public feedback on a draft report studying proposed next steps to restore the Yakima River delta.
Located at the mouth of the Yakima delta, at the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia rivers, Bateman Island has a human-made causeway on the south side of the island that completely blocks water flows. This leads to very warm water temperatures west of the island.
The warm water provides ideal conditions for non-native fish to prey on out-migrating young salmon in the spring and makes it difficult for adult salmon to swim upstream in the summer. Elevated water temperatures also encourage algal blooms and mosquitoes, degrading water quality.
Released today, the Corps’ draft report looks at the ecological benefits or proposed options to restore the Yakima River delta and a tentatively selected plan to move forward. The report is available for public review through March 10.
“The Corps is excited to reach the milestone of public review for the draft feasibility report with integrated environmental assessment,” said Kat Herzog, Corps planner and project manager. “We look forward to hearing from the local community as we move forward with the study.”