Today Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced fifty habitat projects that would receive a total of 167 million in federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the stimulus package). Included in the projects receiving funding was Eugene’s own Delta Ponds restoration. Trout Unlimited National staff asked its local membership to identify worthy projects. Mckenzie Upper Willamette Chapter VP Todd Mullen brought the Delta Ponds project to the National Staff who lobbyied for it and other Oregon projects to NOAA. Nice work Todd!
The Delta Ponds project will restore and enhance twenty one acres and two river miles of riparian habitat by removing invasive species and connecting seven ponds that provide refuge and rearing habitat for juvenile spring chinook. Removal of the last meaningful impediment to salmon and steelhead on Oregon’s Rogue River, Gold Ray dam, will also receive funding and following the removal of Gold Hill dam in 2008 and Savage Rapids dam which is currently being breached, the lower 153 miles of the Rogue River will flow freely.
There are may other worthwhile projects that will be funded through this initiative including the removal of Great Works dam on the Penbscot River in Maine which is the last “stronghold” for Atlantic salmon in the United States.
No matter your political leanings, I think most people reading this site would agree–improving fish habitat is a wonderful thing.–KM
Thanks for that great news. And thanks very much to Todd for his efforts. Keeping hope alive!