Umatilla Basin Salmon Recovery Project

The Umatilla Basin Salmon Recovery Project has successfully restored salmon to the Umatilla River, where they had been absent for nearly 70 years, while also protecting the local irrigated agriculture economy. Partnering with local irrigators and community leaders, the tribe undertook a comprehensive effort that included fish passage improvements, stream habitat enhancement, hatchery stations, research, and a federally funded project that allowed irrigators to access water from other sources. In addition to bringing a thriving salmon population back to the River — a cultural and economic imperative for the tribe — the Project has fostered cooperative relationships among stakeholders with divergent interests.