Riparian habitat will be restored on one of the largest floodplain areas on the lower Methow River, after the state Department of Ecology awarded $249,341 to the Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation (MSRF) for the effort.
MSRF workers will collect seeds from the 17-acre floodplain, located about one mile upstream of the Methow’s terminus at the Columbia River, and propagate them in the area in fall 2027, said John Crandall, an aquatic ecologist who is working with MSRF on the project. The enhanced vegetation along the river will provide shade for threatened and endangered salmonid species and improve water quality through filtration, Crandall said.
A levy will be removed at the site, thanks to separate funding from the Bonneville Power Administration. Removing the levy will restore fish habitat on the floodplain and support nearby wetlands, Crandall said.
MSRF is working with the Miller family and other descendants of the Methow Tribe to develop a “robust” riparian habitat at the site, Crandall said.
“The Miller family has lived there for generation after generation,” he said. “It’s a very culturally important site, and we are aware of that.”
Ecology announced 130 awards statewide on June 30 through its Water Quality Combined Funding Program, including the MSRF grant.
