Rocky Reach wildlife agreements make $1.43 million available for habitat work

WENATCHEE — Chelan County PUD commissioners approved agreements Sept. 21 making up to $1.43 million available to state and federal agencies for wildlife habitat improvements required under the Rocky Reach Dam operating license.

The five-year agreements authorize up to $636,000 to reimburse the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for work on the Chelan Wildlife Area and up to $794,032 for Bureau of Land Management projects on its lands within the designated Rocky Reach Wildlife Area. Both agreements run through Dec. 31, 2030.

PUD wildlife biologist Kelly Cordell told commissioners the funding follows federal approval of the utility’s 2026–30 wildlife habitat management plan. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the plan July 2. Rocky Reach’s license requires the PUD to submit an updated plan every five years.

The funding limits do not represent two new lump-sum payments. Cordell said money left unused in previous years carries forward, while additional funding is deposited annually. The figures presented to commissioners also account for estimated inflation through 2030. The agencies can seek reimbursement for habitat improvements covered by the plan, up to the approved amounts.

The PUD develops its five-year wildlife plans through a forum involving the agencies responsible for habitat in the Rocky Reach project area. Those plans set objectives for habitat improvements and wildlife monitoring. The agreements approved Sept. 21 provide a way for WDFW and BLM to carry out the work on lands they manage.

Rocky Reach began generating power in 1961 and later expanded from seven to 11 turbines. Its federal operating license also carries environmental commitments that extend beyond the dam itself. Wildlife habitat planning is one part of that work; separate agreements govern fish protection, hatchery operations and monitoring associated with the PUD’s Columbia River hydroelectric projects.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media