$74 million for water quality and salmon habitat

Local communities get funding to improve water quality and salmon habitat

OLYMPIA - During the next year, the Washington Department of Ecology will be issuing $74 million in grants and loans to help local communities and a Native American tribe improve water quality and salmon habitat.

The department has concluded this year's competition for money by awarding funding to 66 projects, totaling $74 million. Local governments and tribes had sought a total of $107 million for 168 projects, but funding sources are not sufficient to cover those requests. The money comes from a combination of state and federal sources that are earmarked for water-quality projects.

"I'm very pleased with the quality of the projects we're funding this year," said Tom Fitzsimmons, Ecology's director. "It's hard to find a water body in our state that isn't in need of restoration and protection. The financial and technical assistance we're giving will go a long way toward improving the health of our waters and fish habitat."

"Although we are happy to be providing substantial funding to local governments and other entities, we share their disappointment that there isn't enough money for all of the extremely important and top-quality projects," said Megan White, who oversees Ecology's Water Quality Program. "We evaluated each project based on the severity of the community's water quality problem, readiness to proceed and expected improvements to the environment."

This year, the Legislature directed Ecology to set aside 25 percent of the state portion of water-quality money for salmon restoration. In all, Ecology is issuing $2.6 million for 15 projects specifically focused on restoring salmon.

"Even though $2.6 million is tapped specifically to improve salmon habitat, Ecology estimates that nearly all of the $74 million will help fish habitat, either directly or indirectly," said Fitzsimmons. "When local communities are working to improve water quality, most actions help make our waters healthier for aquatic life, too."

Most of the grants and loans go toward projects such as building or upgrading municipal wastewater-treatment plants, implementing pollution controls on storm water, improving and protecting ground water, and other pollution-prevention activities.

There are four funding sources for the grants and loans: Centennial Clean Water Fund, Referendum 26, Washington State Revolving Fund, and Clean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint-Source Fund.

A complete list of the grant and loan projects is on Ecology's home page: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq. Copies of the funding-offer list, "Water Quality Financial Assistance Programs for Fiscal Year 1999," publication number 98-13, are also available through Ecology's Publication Office, (360) 407-7472.