Newhouse on $76 Million Contract for Yakima Basin Fish Passage at Cle Elum Lake: “Investing in Water Infrastructure and Fish Passage is a Win-Win”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement today after the

Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) announced a $75,967,000 contract to Spokane's Garco Construction, Inc., for construction services at Cle Elum Dam. The funds will be used for construction of a helix, gate, and intake for fish passage to begin in spring 2019 and end in the summer 2023. The project is funded under a 50/50 cost-share agreement between the State of Washington and BOR.

"Investing in water infrastructure and fish passage is a win-win for Central Washington," said Rep. Newhouse. "This project will assist salmon and further the development of the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan, which is vital to provide for the many current and future water needs in the Fourth District. Farmers, fish populations, the Yakama Nation, irrigators, conservationists, and the State of Washington are all stakeholders dependent upon the Yakima Basin. This is a positive step forward for fish passage, and I continue to work to ensure the authorization of the next phase of the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan to comprehensively advance all needs in the Plan."

Background:

The Cle Elum Dam Fish Passage Project is a component of the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan, a comprehensive and balanced approach to water resources and ecosystem restoration improvements.

Work under this contract involves constructing the juvenile fish facility intake structure, gate chamber, and helix chamber from the previously constructed secant pile shaft and tunnel. Principal components are as follows: earthwork; cast-in-place and precast, reinforced concrete features; structural steel, metal fabrications, architectural features; and mechanical and electrical features.

Built in 1933, Cle Elum Dam is an earth-fill dam that is owned and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. Cle Elum Dam is located on the Cle Elum River about 75 miles northwest of Yakima, Washington.