Advertisement

Feds pledge $2.7 million in funds for Klamath Basin salmon recovery

A young fisherman walks along a spit of land separating the Pacific Ocean and the Klamath River.
A young fisherman walks along a spit of land separating the Pacific Ocean and the Klamath River in June.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Share via

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has announced $2.7 million in funding for projects aimed at helping coho salmon in the Klamath River basin.

The species is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and has seen its numbers dwindle amid rising river temperatures and reduced water flows.

The grant announced Monday will be administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with help from federal and state agencies, and will prioritize projects that improve salmon habitat and fish passage in the lower part of the river and its tributaries, according to a bureau news release.

Advertisement

As the Earth warms and the drought deepens, a network of biologists and conservationists are racing to rescue California’s most threatened species.

The Klamath River spans the border between Oregon and California.

The Bureau of Reclamation plans to award $1.2 million in fiscal year 2021 and up to $500,000 per year in fiscal years 2022 through 2024.

Tribes, nonprofits, local government agencies, schools and universities can apply.

Advertisement