Why It Matters
A $1 million federal investment in Oregon is launching a critical exploration of fish passage solutions at McKay Creek Reservoir Dam in Umatilla County. The project aims to restore access to more than 100 miles of historic salmon and steelhead habitat that has been blocked for nearly a century, directly impacting both ecological recovery and tribal fishing rights. The initiative represents a significant step toward reconnecting native fish populations to spawning grounds in the upper Umatilla Basin while addressing water management infrastructure that has fragmented the region’s fishery resources since 1927.
What Happened
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced receipt of federal funding to conduct an alternative analysis for fish passage improvements at McKay Creek Reservoir Dam. The $1 million investment will support engineering and design work to evaluate feasible options for allowing migratory fish to move upstream past the dam for the first time in nearly 100 years.
Built in 1927, the McKay Creek Reservoir Dam has completely blocked fish passage to 108 miles of upstream habitat in Umatilla County. Currently, native migratory fish can only access the lower six miles of McKay Creek, though the entire system historically supported Chinook salmon, lamprey, and bull trout populations. The creek remains one of the coldest water sources in the Umatilla River Basin, making it particularly valuable habitat for steelhead spawning and rearing.
Jerimiah Bonifer, fisheries program manager for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, emphasized the project’s significance for both tribal sovereignty and ecological restoration. The initiative addresses historical fishing rights while expanding available resources for tribal members and restoring native fish populations to their historic range in the basin.
By The Numbers
- $1 million in federal funding allocated for alternative analysis and engineering design work
- 108 miles of upstream habitat currently blocked by the dam since its construction in 1927
- 6 miles of McKay Creek currently accessible to native migratory fish populations
- 25 percent of suitable steelhead spawning and rearing habitat in the Umatilla Basin blocked by the dam
- Nearly 100 years since fish passage was lost at McKay Creek Reservoir Dam
Zoom Out
Fish passage restoration has emerged as a priority across the Pacific Northwest as agencies and tribes work to recover depleted salmon and steelhead populations. Similar dam removal and fish passage projects have been undertaken in Washington, California, and Idaho, reflecting a broader regional trend toward addressing legacy infrastructure that fragments aquatic ecosystems.
The McKay Creek project aligns with the Biden administration’s investment in environmental restoration and tribal co-management initiatives. Federal funding for fish passage improvements has expanded significantly in recent years as part of broader efforts to meet Endangered Species Act requirements and restore Pacific salmon populations that support both tribal traditions and regional economies.
Oregon’s Umatilla Basin has been a focal point for collaborative fish recovery efforts involving state agencies, federal authorities, and tribal nations. The McKay Creek initiative builds on existing research conducted since 2020, when managers began studying how fish would use restored habitat by releasing radio-tagged hatchery summer steelhead above the dam. That work documented the first spawning of steelhead above the dam in nearly a century, providing evidence that native fish populations could successfully utilize reconnected habitat.
What’s Next
The alternative analysis funded by the federal investment will evaluate multiple fish passage options at McKay Creek Reservoir Dam, including potential dam modification, removal, or construction of fish passage infrastructure. Results from this engineering study are expected to guide decision-making by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding the most feasible and cost-effective approach.
Following completion of the alternative analysis, project managers anticipate moving forward with design development and permitting for the selected fish passage solution. Implementation timelines will depend on which option is chosen and the complexity of regulatory approvals required at state and federal levels.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife plan to coordinate with stakeholders throughout the process to ensure the fish passage solution supports both ecological recovery objectives and tribal cultural and subsistence fishing practices.