Project Partners and Funding

Project Partners

This project was a result of collaboration between the City of Bellingham, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Lummi Nation, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and American Rivers, with funding from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the City of Bellingham, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Resources Legacy Fund through their Open Rivers Fund, the Puget Sound Partnership, and the Recreation Conservation Office. Additional project partners include Long Live the Kings and American Whitewater.

In 2017, the City and American Rivers, with the support of private funders, began working with the original project partners – the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Lummi Nation, and the Nooksack Indian Tribe – to reinitiate a project to achieve fish passage at the Middle Fork diversion dam site. The project involved dam removal to restore habitat connectivity, providing upstream fish passage to 16 miles of pristine habitat for Puget Sound Chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout; move the point of diversion just upstream of the existing location to eliminate the need for the dam and to maintain the City’s water supply; construct a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and WDFW compliant fish screen to protect downstream emigrating juvenile fish; provide cultural benefits; and restore the Middle Fork Nooksack to a free-flowing river.

A Partner Advisory Committee (PAC) and Design Review Team (DRT) were formed in December 2017 to advance the project in full coordination with project partners and technical reviewers.

Six PAC or DRT meetings have been held since December 2017:

December 7, 2017: a PAC meeting was held to provide information on new project funding and the project schedule, as well as to gain clarity on the desired project outcomes of each partner entity.
January 25, 2018: a PAC meeting was held to collaborate on approaches to streamline permitting and secure funding.
February 12, 2018: PAC and DRT members attended an Alternative Selection Workshop to review alternatives proposed and discuss the basis of design for a proposed preferred alternative.
August 1, 2018: DRT members attended a 30% design review meeting, where early draft preliminary design plans and reports were reviewed and discussed. Input and feedback was documented and incorporated into 60% design plans.
October 24, 2018: DRT members attended a 60% design review meeting, where preliminary design plans and reports were reviewed and discussed. Input and feedback was documented and incorporated into 90% design plans.
January 12, 2019: DRT members attended a 90% design review meeting, where final feedback was received and used in finalizing design.

Funding

The project secured nearly $24 million for design and construction. Project funding sources were diverse and ranged from private foundations to local, state, and federal government agencies. Project funders included:

$10,560,250 (43%) – State of Washington Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Fund Large Capital Program, awarded by the Puget Sound Partnership, administered by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office Salmon Recovery Funding Board.
$6,500,000 (27%) – City of Bellingham Funding.
$2,980,000 (12%) – Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
$2,000,000 (8%) – Pacific Salmon Treaty Orca Recovery Funding, awarded by NOAA, administered by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.
1,537,580 (6%) – State of Washington Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Fund Large Capital Program, Additional Returned Large Capital Program Funds.
$636,382 (3%) – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Restoration Center, Community-based Restoration Program.
$335,000 (1%) – Project Contribution made through the Open Rivers Fund, a program of Resources Legacy Fund supported by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
$50,000 (<1%) – United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Puget Sound Coastal Program.

American Rivers provided integral support in securing of funding through direct project management and outreach. The private foundations (PAFF, RLF), City, and USFWS provided the initial funding needed for project management services, planning, and the design phase. This seed funding and the completion of a shovel-ready design was critical for leveraging the remaining grant funds from State and Federal agencies needed for project implementation.

Resources

Contacts

Steve Day, P.E.
Project Engineer
City of Bellingham Public Works
(360) 778-7944
smday@cob.org

April McEwen
River Restoration Project Manager
American Rivers
amcewen@americanrivers.org

Public Works Contacts