How $6.2 million could be used to help fish, protect Whatcom communities from floods
A $6.2 million infusion of state dollars will allow Whatcom County to move forward on a project to improve habitat in the Nooksack River as well as protect farms and communities from floodwaters.
The money is part of the $50.4 million in grants the state Legislature is providing through the Floodplains by Design program, a public-private effort led by the Washington state Department of Ecology, Puget Sound Partnership and The Nature Conservancy that aims to restore the natural functions of the state’s rivers and floodplains.
Healthy floodplains are important because they provide opportunities for recreation, help improve water quality, provide rich soil for farms, provide habitat for salmon and offer protection against flooding — provided rivers have a place to go and aren’t tightly constricted, proponents said.
Flooding is expected to be a growing issue, including in the Nooksack River, because of climate change, according to a study done for the initiative that was conducted by the Climate Impacts Group.
In Whatcom County, the grant money will go toward six different tasks grouped under what’s being called “The Nooksack River: Floodplains That Work Project.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/localnews/how-dollar62-million-could-be-used-to-help-fish-protect-whatcom-communities-from-floods/ar-AAAYE2m