SALEM — The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) awarded $62,749 to the Umatilla County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) for McKay Creek Habitat Restoration Phase I at their March 9-10, board meeting.

The award was one of 85 grants totaling $10,095,681 provided to local organizations statewide to support fish and wildlife habitat and water quality projects.

“This grant was extremely important to secure. With the funds provided by OWEB, we will be able to start collecting data to identify project sites for future grants that will pay for permitting and installation of bioengineered habitat, stopping erosion and helping restore some of what has been lost,” said Kyle Waggoner, district manager of Umatilla County SWCD, in a press release.

The project proposes to identify and begin gathering design data on project sites along the 5-mile reach. The majority of funds used in this grant will go toward contracting an engineer to begin the process of site selection, working with individual landowners on their property to begin designing restoration efforts. This project is one of several initiatives underway from the multiple entities working on the complex challenges presented by the McKay Creek Basin, such as those regarding habitat restoration, streambank stabilization, and flood remapping efforts.

Funding for grants awarded by the OWEB Board comes from three primary sources: the Oregon Lottery, Salmon License Plate revenues, and Federal Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery funds provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Since 1999, the Oregon Lottery has provided over $684 million to OWEB’s grant program that helps restore, maintain and enhance Oregon’s watersheds. Combined, the Lottery has earned over $9 billion for watershed enhancements, public education, state parks and economic development. Information about the Oregon Lottery can be found on their website.

For additional information about this project, contact Kyle Waggoner at umcoswcd@eotnet.net. For additional information about OWEB and its grant programs, contact April Mack at april.mack@oregon.gov.