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Walla Walla Watershed Council outlines restoration projects, funding challenges to Umatilla County
Summary
Walla Walla Watershed Council leaders briefed Umatilla County commissioners on a suite of stream, spring and upland projects, described an 18‑month delay in an Oregon Water Resources Department recharge permit and warned of shifting grant rules that affect project cash flow.
Michelle McClellan, executive director of the Walla Walla Watershed Council, told Umatilla County commissioners on Oct. 12 that the council is advancing stream and spring restoration work across the basin while facing multi‑year permitting and grant challenges.
McClellan said the council is focusing on tributary habitat improvements, spring mapping and a long‑standing alluvial aquifer recharge program that did not operate last year because the council’s temporary water right application remains under state review. “Our application has been held up in the review level for 18 months now,” McClellan said during a roughly 30‑ to 40‑minute presentation. She also described a recent change in grant payment schedules by the Oregon Department of Agriculture that shifts many grantees from a 50/50 payment model to a 90/10 front‑loaded payment, creating cash‑flow stress for nonprofits.
Tara Patton, deputy director, summarized the council’s…
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