Friday, October 2, 2026
Thurston County’s salmon recovery work is moving forward on multiple tracks despite uncertainty about funding.
A series of habitat restoration projects are underway across the watershed, and a separate $10 million funding package is being sought in hopes of expanding river and floodplain improvements in the Deschutes River basin.
Lead Entity Region 13, the local salmon recovery partnership hosted by the Thurston Regional Planning Council and covering the Deschutes Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Plan 13, outlined details at a planning council meeting on Friday, Jan. 9.
Senior Planner and Lead Entity Coordinator Amy Hatch-Winecka said the region is focused on moving more projects from planning to construction.
“This has been the highest priority project since we started making project lists back in the early 2000s,” Hatch-Winecka told the planning council.
Lead Entity is also resubmitting an enhanced, region-wide $10 million package to the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Floodplains by Design Program. The proposal aims to accelerate priority work across the watershed.
In the Middle River, an assessment and restoration plan aims to identify areas to temporarily store stormwater and release it during low flows, reducing flood peaks and stabilizing summer flows.
The proposal also calls for expanded log-jam placements in the upper watershed. Many placements would use helicopter delivery of whole trees and root wads to reduce road building and habitat disturbance while improving efficiency.
“That makes it cheaper,” Hatch-Winecka commented on using a helicopter to implement the project. “We don’t have to build roads to get in there, and we don’t want to impact that habitat.”
In the lower watershed, a regional stormwater facility in Tumwater is planned to manage runoff, reduce flooding and protect downstream fish habitat. The proposal also emphasizes community and landowner engagement to secure permission for projects on private lands.
According to Hatch-Winecka, restoration efforts not only help salmon but also bring economic benefits to the region. She said each $1 million invested is estimated to generate 15 to 33 local, family wage jobs, from contractors and equipment operators to biologists and supporting services.
She added that schools and colleges, including The Evergreen State College, are also using the watershed as a living classroom for outdoor learning and research.
Funding uncertainty is one of the biggest challenges facing salmon recovery efforts. Hatch-Winecka, who is also a lead coordinator for the region, said the work is supported by the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.
However, the federal budget for this program has been cut dramatically — about 40% — and it was zeroed out in the President Donald Trump's 2026 budget.
While the congressional delegation restored the funding in 2025, it is once again at risk.
“Not having those funds would be catastrophic,” Hatch-Winecka said. “We are working again with congressional delegates to hopefully get those funds reinstated at the statewide level.”
State funding is also uncertain, even with the reaffirmation of the Climate Commitment Act and allocations for the next session remain unclear.
Lead Entity staff plan to meet with state and federal officials in February to advocate for continued support of salmon projects in Washington.
4 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
johnvaneenwyk
Excellent! Thank you for informing us of the efforts to pursue the funding and planning for these watershed improvements! We really appreciate it.
Wednesday, January 14 Report this
BrandonEdinger1
The crazy part of this bs money grab story is that salmon do not get above the hatchery at tumwater falls park from the ocean they go through capital lake and then right into the tanks at hatchery where they are killed for eggs and sperm for the next year's batch. Answer me this, who benefits from that salmon run?? Quick answer is NOBODY because there's no fishing in the river below the hatchery.. I can not believe nobody's paying attention to where they say our money goes. 10 million dollars could benefit so many people.
Wednesday, January 14 Report this
LindaFretts
Response to BrandonEdinger1:
There are Chinook, Coho, and Chum salmon that get beyond the hatchery. There are native runs that established prior to the build of the hatchery collection site. Hatchery -reared fish are tagged or have a fin clipped to identify them as hatchery raised. Those fish are collected. The bodies of those fish are donated to food banks, used for nutrient enhancement in watersheds, or sold to a contractor. The wild fish are released. Percival Creek, which also feeds into Capitol Lake, also has salmon runs. It comes from Black Lake which is fed by the Black River which is a tributary of the Chehalis River. There are also Winter Steelhead runs that come into Capitol Lake and access both the Deschutes and Percival Creek tributaries.
The Estuary restoration project will benefit the entire watershed and south sound ecosystems even beyond the benefits to the salmon and steelhead runs. Nutrient rich sediment that drops into the estuary and has choked out the original habitat will be naturally deposited to Bud Bay, then distributed naturally by tidal forces, made available to organisms that will in turn, feed others, and there by improve the natural systems in our area.
Thursday, January 15 Report this
Boatyarddog
@!BrandonEdinger1. You missed the big point, Salmon are forever, feed much more than just humanity, a requirement for enviromental health. Humanity is tempory at best, and not good at much else except Consumption.
Thursday, January 15 Report this