MISSION, Ore.- The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) have been awarded $6.91 million from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for fish hatchery and collection activities.
“The funds are directly applied to the hatchery facility modernization and maintenance needs, which are necessary to continue to support treaty harvest rights throughout the CTUIR’s usual and accustomed areas,” said Jerimiah Bonifer, Fisheries Program manager with CTUIR’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The funding will be used at the Nursery Bridge Adult Collection Facility near Milton-Freewater, the Umatilla Hatchery Satellite Facility near Irrigon, and the ˀImtwaha Fish Hatchery near Walla Walla, Washington, according to the CTUIR.
The CTUIR was notified in March that it would be receiving the BIA funding appropriated in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
“The funds are directly applied to the hatchery facility modernization and maintenance needs, which are necessary to continue to support treaty harvest rights throughout the CTUIR’s usual and accustomed areas,” said Bonifer.
The funding will pay for construction of an improved collection and handling area at Nursery Bridge, and will be used to improve internet connectivity at ˀImtwaha and the Umatilla Hatchery Satellite Facility, which includes the Immeques (em-meck-eez) Acclimation site near Gibbon, Thornhollow Acclimation site near Cayuse, and Three Mile Dam Adult Collection site near Umatilla.
“Water is constantly working to destroy the concrete of which many the facilities are made, their technology and mechanical parts,” said Bonifer. “Since we are also working with live animals, it is important to ensure that our facilities are able to safely hold and maintain the fish.”
Nursery Bridge, ˀImtwaha, the Umatilla Hatchery Satellite Facility, as well as the Pendleton Acclimation site, are also scheduled to receive intake cleaning system upgrades or replacements, water control valve replacements or rebuilds, and intake flow meters, according to the CTUIR.
“The updates will improve water usage reporting, better alarm system connectivity and improve the ability to maintain our intakes in inclement weather, ultimately allowing us to more securely hold fish,” said Bonifer.
Work on the projects is expected to begin when the money is transferred to the CTUIR, with internet upgrades expected to be completed within a year of their start date, while others may have longer timelines.
“This funding allows us to address areas where we haven’t yet had a failure, but if we keep delaying maintenance activities, we may,” said Bonifer. “Ultimately it provides us with peace of mind and security for the over 4 million fish the artificial production program releases each year.”
