Fish passage projects have always been a high priority in the Yakima Basin SRFB Grant program, with 26 fish passage projects complete since 2001, for a total of almost $16 million.
The Board has actively worked with and supported partners completing on the ground barrier inventories and assessments, including:
- 2018 WFDW survey of Ahtanum Creek
- 2019 WDFW Survey of Wenas Creek
- 2018-19 USFS/Mid-Columbia Fisheries Survey of US Forest Service Cle Elum Ranger District roads
Data from these surveys and others has been incorporated into WDFW’s FPDSI online barrier database and web map.
The Board has also worked with partners to identify and support strong applications to the state’s Brian Abbot Fish Barrier Removal Board (FBRB). The FBRB has funded projects every two years since 2017, and (as of 2026) has funded a total of 14 barrier removal projects in the Yakima Basin, for a total of $12 million. As part of the Barrier Borad grant program, the Board, as a Regional Salmon Recovery Organization designated by the state, is asked to provide input to WDFW regarding the status of barriers addressed by pending grant requests.
2026 Yakima Recovery Board Input to the Fish Barrier Removal Board
The Board also maintains a prioritized list of fish passage barriers that is a work in progress; we hope to finalize this prioritization in 2026-2027. Draft data from 2023 associated with this effort is available here. Do contact us before citing this data as it is a work in progress and should not be ready as a final prioritized list until remaining quality control is completed.