Rep. Huffman Secures $3 Million for Weaver Creek Habitat Restoration Implementation

Rep. Huffman Secures $3 Million for Weaver Creek Habitat Restoration Implementation

Funding comes as part of $41M investment in water resources and ecosystem health from Biden-Harris administration

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) announced that he secured $3 million in federal funding for the Yurok Tribe Fisheries Department for habitat restoration along Weaver Creek in California's 2^nd District. Funds for this grant were awarded through the Bureau of Reclamation's WaterSMART program.

About the Project

The Yurok Tribe Fisheries Department will create instream habitat and develop new floodplain areas along the upper section of Weaver Creek, a tributary to the Trinity River. The project will control the spread of invasive plant species, establish habitat connectivity during summertime baseflow conditions, and support populations of threatened Coho Salmon. The Tribe will construct new habitat features including 4.96 acres of floodplain, 1.23 acres of overflow channels, 0.94 acres of constructed riffles, 0.37 acres of channel fill, and 0.36 acres of low flow channels. These enhancements will increase the structural complexity of the project reach and mitigate the impacts of low flows, which can lead to dry channel conditions on Weaver Creek. The project area is identified in the state and Federal recovery plans for Coho Salmon, which encourage floodplain reconnection and streambed restoration in Weaver Creek. The Yurok Tribe is collaborating with the Nor Rel Muk Wintu Nation, Federal land managers, the Weaverville Sanitary District, and adjacent landowners for this restoration project.

About the Funding

Projects selected to receive this funding through Reclamation's WaterSMART program are in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. They include water conservation and efficiency projects, water management and infrastructure improvements, river and watershed restoration, and nature-based solution projects that provide significant ecological benefits while providing critical adaptation support for communities facing climate catastrophes. A full list of projects selected is on the Reclamation website.

This funding builds on a previous investment that included $51 million. President Biden's Investing in America agenda represents the largest investment in climate resilience in the nation's history and is providing much-needed resources to enhance western communities' resilience to drought and climate change. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Reclamation is investing a total of $8.3 billion over five years for water infrastructure projects, including rural water, water storage, conservation and conveyance, nature-based solutions, dam safety, water purification and reuse, and desalination.

Since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was signed three years ago, Reclamation has announced more than $5 billion for more than 670 projects.

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