SEPA
Columbia River Basin Restoration Program
Success Stories from the 2020 Grant Projects	RESTORATION PROGRAM
ABOUT THE COLUMBIA
RIVER BASIN RESTORATION
FUNDING ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM
Congress amended the Clean Water
Act in 2016, which required EPA to
establish a Columbia River Basin
Restoration Program. EPA was directed
to develop a voluntary, competitive
grant program for eligible entities to
fund environmental protection and
restoration programs throughout the
Basin. Eligible entities include state,
Tribal, and local governments; regional
water pollution control organizations,
nongovernmental organizations,
and soil and water conservation
districts. Funded work must be for the
purpose of environmental protection
and restoration activities within the
Columbia River Basin; and may include
programs, projects, and studies.
EPA funded 14 projects in the 2020,
inaugural round of grants that address
the following four priorities:
1.	Increase monitoring and access
data from monitoring.
2.	Reduce stormwater and
agricultural runoff.
3.	Reduce toxics through small
scale cleanup of non-CERCLA
(also known as Superfund)
contaminated sites.
4.	Promote citizen engagement,
education, and involvement to
increase pollution prevention
actions.
In September of 2020, EPA was able
to provide the full amount requested
by successful grantees for a total of
$2,053,903 in FY19 and FY20 grant
funding. These are their stories of
progress made to date.
COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM FISH TISSUE AND WATER
QUALITY MONITORING FRAMEWORK (OR, WA)
EPA awarded $188,378 to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation,
who have partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish
Commission, and Washington State Department of Ecology to develop a fish tissue
and water quality monitoring framework aimed at tracking the status and trends of
toxics in the Columbia River.
; Yakama
Nation
Fisheries
ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE
The partnership has drafted the vision, mission, goals and objectives of this project
and team. Work on developing the Framework for Long-Term Fish and Water Quality
Monitoring has begun.
The project team has presented to and engaged with many stakeholders such as
the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI), the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish
Commission (CRITFC), and the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program Working
Group.
This multi-phase, multi-
year project will develop a
monitoring framework and
community engagement
and outreach plan to
establish a long-term
monitoring program
aimed at tracking the
status and trends of toxics
in fish, water, sediments, and invertebrates in the Middle and Upper Columbia River
mainstem. This project tracks toxics, including mercury, DDT, PCBs, PBDEs, and PAHs,
along the approximately 600-mile length of the mainstem Columbia River from the
Canadian border to the Bonneville Dam. The outreach effort and monitoring framework
is expected to easily generate sampling and monitoring plans in a subsequent phase,
and support the formation of a larger, multi-stakeholder Columbia River monitoring
program. This project supports both Priority 1—Increase monitoring and access data
from monitoring, and 4—Promote citizen engagement, education, and involvement.
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**kama nation..'
if vaamiv if
V TREATY OF >
COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN
RESTORATION PROGRAM
"We are now
underway and
quickly becoming an
efficient and cohesive
team. We have
participated in several
Columbia River Basin
workshops including
ATNI [Affiliated
Tribes of Northwest
Indians], CRITFC
Commissioners
Meeting, and a
Columbia River work
group."
- Laura Shir a
Warns Nation Project Area
Work has begun on the Community Engagement and Outreach Plan with input from
stakeholders.
The Framework
for Long-Term
Fish and Water
Quality Monitoring
will be finalized in
preparation for Phases 2 and 3 of this project. Phase 2 (Implement Monitoring
Framework and Long-term Funding and Administration Planning) and Phase 3
(.Implement Monitoring Program and Adaptive Management) are beyond the scope
of the current grant project.
To learn more, visit the Yakama Nation Fisheries website: https://yakamafish-nsn.
gov/. Yakama Nation Fisheries is a program of the Confederated Tribes and Bands
of the Yakama Nation.
WHAT'S NEXT? WHERE DO THEY GO FROM HERE?
Existing data,
gaps, and needs
will be analyzed
and reported out
in the coming year
in preparation for
creating a long-term
monitoring effort.
Cibine t
Mountains
Lewis Ra\
Ofympia
Bitterroot
.Range
Oregon
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