Cowlitz Restoration & Recovery Project

Cowlitz River Below Mayfield Dam The Cowlitz Restoration and Recovery (CRR) Fund supports projects that protect and promote the recovery of endangered salmon and steelhead populations in the upper Cowlitz River basin.

Tacoma Power established the fund as part of its federal license to operate Mayfield and Mossyrock dams. Funding supports habitat restoration, hatchery-associated production projects and assessments that help guide future restoration work.

Planning to Apply?

Visit the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board’s CRR website for current habitat grant information, application requirements and deadlines.

Tacoma Power also accepts applications for hatchery-associated production grants.

Year-round engagement is encouraged to prepare for future grant rounds.

FAQ's

The CRR Fund supports three types of work:

Habitat Projects

Funding is available for projects and activities that protect or restore fish habitat. Tacoma Power partners with the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board (LCFRB) to administer habitat grant opportunities.

Hatchery-Associated Production Projects

Funding is available for hatchery-associated production projects that support the reintroduction and recovery of target fish populations in the upper Cowlitz River basin.

Habitat Assessments

The CRR Fund also supports habitat assessments that help identify and prioritize habitat protection and restoration opportunities.

Eligible applicants include:

Nonprofit conservation organizations
Native American Tribes
Regional fisheries enhancement groups
Conservation districts
Local and state governmental entities
Federal agencies
Private landowners proposing restoration projects on their own property

Private landowners may propose restoration projects on their property but are not eligible to propose property acquisition projects.

Eligible projects may be located within:

The Cowlitz River basin upstream of Mayfield Dam
The Cowlitz River mainstem and tributary mouths between Mayfield Dam and the mouth of the Toutle River

Program documents provide additional information about geographic and species priorities.

Tacoma Power administers the CRR Fund with oversight from the Cowlitz Fisheries Technical Committee.

For grant rounds, Tacoma Power partners with the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board for habitat proposals and administers a separate process for hatchery-associated production projects.

Proposals are evaluated based on benefits to fish, certainty of success, cost benefit and CRR priorities. The Fisheries Technical Committee reviews funding recommendations and determines funding awards.

The CRR Fund will be spent down before Tacoma Power’s current federal license expires in 2037. Grant-round schedules and available funding may vary.