Two projects in Central Washington received federal grants aimed at increasing water storage and supply in Western states.
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation granted $1 million to the Cle Elum Pool Raise project, which will increase the reservoir’s capacity by 3 feet, adding 14,600 acre-feet of water to help manage habitat and migration for salmon and steelhead. The allocation is in addition to a $5 million federal grant announced last fall. The reservoir level will be raised by 2028, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.
Another $1 million will go to the Upper Yakima System Storage Feasibility Study to help the Kittitas Irrigation District find water-storage alternatives for the region. Both projects are part of the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan.
While these projects have been in the works for decades, Washington state has faced increasing drought conditions in recent years, with a drought emergency declared for 12 counties earlier this week. The state attributed the drought conditions to higher-than-normal temperatures in May and lower-than-normal rain in the late spring and early summer months.
The money for the water projects comes from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides billions of dollars to projects across the U.S. including transportation, roads, ports and broadband.