Merkley, Wyden: $2.2M in federal support for coastal erosion work

Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden said last week that the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is awarding $2,210,835 to the MidCoast Watersheds Council to restore 125 acres of tidal wetlands and 6.2 miles of stream channels across Oregon’s Siletz and Yaquina estuaries in Lincoln County to enhance habitat for salmonids and buffer communities from storm surge.

Tidal wetlands on Oregon’s central coast are increasingly threatened by coastal erosion, flooding, drought, and degraded water quality.

According to the officials, the project will reduce flood risk and enhance sediment retention for local communities through floodplain reconnection, fish passage improvements, native plant and tidal channel restoration, large wood placement, and native Olympia oyster reef reestablishment.

“The health of Oregon’s estuaries is vital to our state’s ecosystems and communities,” said Merkley, who serves as the top Democrat on the spending subcommittee that oversees funding for NFWF. 

“This critical federal funding along with strong matching support will leverage MidCoast Watersheds Council’s work in restoring tidal wetlands and reducing risk to the community at the same time.”

The grant for MidCoast Watersheds Council comes from NFWF’s National Coastal Resilience Fund, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In addition to the $2.2 million in federal funding, the project has secured $1,803,423 in matching funds, bringing the total project funds to $4,014,258.