Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance Program
The Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance Program is a competitive grant program for environmental protection and restoration programs throughout the Columbia River Basin. The grant program offers funding assistance to eligible entities on a competitive basis. See below to learn more about the program and how it was established.
Grant Awards
2022 Awards
In 2022, EPA is awarding approximately $6.9 million across 25 projects to reduce toxics in fish and water throughout the Basin using annual Congressional appropriations and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.
- Total amount of grants awarded: $6,935,609
- Total amount of BIL funding awarded: $3,823,379
- Total amount going to tribal governments: $2,201,201
- Total amount of match which leverages community partnerships and resources: $1,589,739
See below for a full list of 2022 awards. A printable version is also available, including project summaries: 2022 Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance Program Grant Awards (pdf)
Category 1: Agricultural Best Practices
1. Salmon-Safe Columbia Basin Pledge: Accelerating Water Quality Protection in the Interior Columbia Basin (OR, WA, ID, MT, WY)
- Recipient: Salmon-Safe
- EPA Grant Amount: $342,000 (funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds)
- Mandatory Cost Share: $114,250
- Total Project Cost: $456,250
- Location: Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin
2. Next Steps in Pesticide Stewardship Partnerships at the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WA)
- Recipient: Washington State Department of Agriculture
- EPA Grant Amount: $349,898
- Mandatory Cost Share: $116,633
- Total Project Cost: $466,531
- Location: Upper Columbia River Basin
Category 2: Stormwater Green Infrastructure
3. Urban Waters and Wildlife Partnership & Program Implementation (Phase II) (OR)
- Recipient: Cascade Pacific RC & D
- EPA Grant Amount: $349,978
- Mandatory Cost Share: $118,452
- Total Project Cost: $468,430
- Location: Willamette River Basin/Middle Columbia River
Category 3: Monitoring and Assessment
4. Phase 2 Pilot Implementation of the Columbia River Mainstem Fish Tissue and Water Quality Monitoring Program – Grant A: Planning, Outreach and QAPP development (WA)
- Recipient: Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation
- EPA Grant Amount: $350,000 (funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds)
- Total Project Cost: $350,000
- Location: Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin
5. Phase 2 Pilot Implementation of the Columbia River Mainstem Fish Tissue and Water Quality Monitoring Program: Grant B – Field Data Collection, Analytical, and Reporting (WA)
- Recipient: Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation
- EPA Grant Amount: $350,000 (funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds)
- Total Project Cost: $350,000
- Location: Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin
6. Upper Columbia Basin Contaminant Status, Movement, and Remedial Pilot Study (WA)
- Recipient: Spokane Tribe of the Spokane Reservation
- EPA Grant Amount: $262,500 (funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds)
- Total Project Cost: $262,500
- Location: Upper Columbia River Basin
7. Monitor Contaminants Trends, Transport, Uptake, and Transfer through the Kootenai River Ecosystem to Evaluate Fish Bioaccumulation and Inform Fish Consumption Advisories (ID)
- Recipient: Kootenai Tribe of Idaho
- EPA Grant Amount: $349,040 (funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds)
- Total Project Cost: $349,040
- Location: Upper Columbia River Basin
8. City of Vancouver Columbia Slope Water Quality Monitoring Phase 2 (WA)
- Recipient: City of Vancouver
- EPA Grant Amount: $246,860
- Mandatory Cost Share: $82,286
- Total Project Cost: $329,146
- Location: Lower Columbia River Estuary
9. Tracking Toxics in the Lower Columbia (Phase 1) (OR)
- Recipient: Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership
- EPA Grant Amount: $344,020
- Mandatory Cost Share: $114,730
- Total Project Cost: $458,750
- Location: Lower Columbia River Estuary
10. Lower Wenatchee River PCB Source Investigation (WA)
- Recipient: Chelan County Natural Resource Department
- EPA Grant Amount: $138,999
- Mandatory Cost Share: $46,333
- Total Project Cost: $185,332
- Location: Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin
11. Reducing PFAS and Phthalates in Local Clean Water Systems within the Columbia Basin (OR)
- Recipient: Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies
- EPA Grant Amount: $118,044
- Mandatory Cost Share: $39,348
- Total Project Cost: $157,392
- Location: Columbia River Basin
12. Reconstructing 40 Years of Selenium Exposure from Fish Otoliths: Archival Tissue Applications for Contaminant Biomonitoring in Lake Koocanusa (MT)
- Recipient: University of Connecticut
- EPA Grant Amount: $327,100
- Mandatory Cost Share: $109,033
- Total Project Cost: $436,133
- Location: Upper Columbia River Basin
Category 4: Monitoring, Assessment and Public Education and Involvement
13. Clearwater River Toxics Assessment and Monitoring Project (ID)
- Recipient: Nez Perce Tribe
- EPA Grant Amount: $195,692 (funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds)
- Total Project Cost: $195,692
- Location: Middle Columbia River Basin
14. Nez Perce Tribe Methylmercury Monitoring and Abatement: Salmon and Lower Snake Rivers (ID)
- Recipient: Nez Perce Tribe
- EPA Grant Amount: $343,969 (funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds)
- Total Project Cost: $343,969
- Location: Middle Columbia River Basin
15. Upper Columbia River Toxics Monitoring: Caring for Sn̓x̌ʷn̓ tkʷitkʷ (WA)
- Recipient: Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
- EPA Grant Amount: $350,000 (funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds)
- Total Project Cost: $350,000
- Location: Upper Columbia River Basin
16. Engaging Communities to Monitor Mercury Risk in the Columbia River Basin: Intensive Application of a National Biosentinel Network at a Regional Scale (OR)
- Recipient: Oregon State University
- EPA Grant Amount: $349,919;
- Mandatory Cost Share: $116,702
- Total Project Cost: $466,621
- Location: Middle Columbia River Basin
17. Toxics Assessment of the Lower Columbia (OR)
- Recipient: North Coast Watershed Association
- EPA Grant Amount: $97,016
- Mandatory Cost Share: $32,372
- Total Project Cost: $129,388
- Location: Lower Columbia River Estuary
18. Quantifying Toxins to Inform Fish Consumption and Identifying Sources of Pollutants in the Upper Columbia River Basin of Montana
- Recipient: Montana Trout Unlimited
- EPA Grant Amount: $221,362
- Mandatory Cost Share: $ 82,499
- Total Project Cost: $303,861
- Location: Upper Columbia River Basin
19. The Crayfish Mercury Project (ID)
- Recipient: University of Idaho
- EPA Grant Amount: $322,240 (funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds)
- Mandatory Cost Share: $107,424;
- Total Project Cost: $429,664
- Location: Middle Columbia River Basin
20. Crayfish as Indicators of 6PPD-quinone (ID)
- Recipient: University of Idaho
- EPA Grant Amount: $278,241 (funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds)
- Mandatory Cost Share: $92,776
- Total Project Cost: $371,017
- Location: Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin
Category 5: Pollution Prevention
21. EcoBiz Program Enhancements: Bilingual Training and Pollution Prevention Resources, Public Awareness, and Data Tracking Improvements (OR)
- Recipient: Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center
- EPA Grant Amount: $187,745
- Mandatory Cost Share: $62,800
- Total Project Cost: $250,545
- Location: Lower Columbia River Estuary
22. City of Vancouver Waste Incentive Network (WA)
- Recipient: City of Vancouver
- EPA Grant Amount: $255,837
- Mandatory Cost Share: $85,279
- Total Project Cost: $341,116
- Location: Lower Columbia River Estuary
Category 6: Clean-up of Small non-CERCLA Sites
23. Eliminating Erosion of Legacy Mine Tailings from the Bodie Mine into Toroda Creek, Kettle Creek Watershed (WA)
- Recipient: Trout Unlimited
- EPA Grant Amount: $332,285 (funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds)
- Mandatory Cost Share: $111,200
- Total Project Cost: $443,485
- Location: Upper Columbia River Basin
Category 7: Community Education and Involvement
24. Pesticide Behavior Change Project of Oregon & Southwest Washington (OR, WA)
- Recipient: City of Gresham
- EPA Grant Amount: $347,412 (funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds)
- Mandatory Cost Share: $115,804
- Total Project Cost: $463,216
- Location: Lower Columbia River Estuary
25. Columbia River Pollution Education and Outreach Project (OR, WA)
- Recipient: Columbia Riverkeeper
- EPA Grant Amount: $125,452
- Mandatory Cost Share: $41,818
- Total Project Cost: $167,270
- Location: Middle Columbia River Basin
2020 Awards
The following projects were funded by the 2020 inaugural round of grants. EPA was able to provide the full amount requested by successful grantees for a total of $2,053,903.
See below for a full listing of 2020 awards. A printable version is also available, including award summaries: 2020 Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance Program Grant Awards (pdf)
1. Monitoring, Reduction, and Collection of Agricultural Pesticides in the Columbia River Basin (WA)
- Recipient: Washington State Department of Agriculture
- EPA Grant amount: $200,000
- Success Story: Monitoring, Reduction, and Collection of Agricultural Pesticides in the Columbia River Basin (pdf)
2. Ecological Business (EcoBiz) and Safer Alternatives Training for Chemicals of High Concern in the Lower Columbia River Basin (OR)
- Recipient: Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center
- EPA Grant amount: $88,304
- Success Story: Ecological Business (EcoBiz) and Safer Alternatives Training for Chemicals of High Concern in the Lower Columbia River Basin (pdf)
3. Accelerating Water Quality Protection Practices on Agricultural Lands in the Interior Columbia Basin (ID, OR, WA)
- Recipient: Salmon-Safe
- EPA Grant amount: $190,000
- Success Story: Accelerating Water Quality Protection Practices on Agricultural Lands in the Interior Columbia Basin (pdf)
4. Columbia River Mainstem Fish Tissue and Water Quality Monitoring Framework (OR, WA)
- Recipient: Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation
- EPA Grant amount: $188,378
- Success Story: Columbia River Mainstem Fish Tissue and Water Quality Monitoring Framework (pdf)
5. Pesticide Reduction Outreach Campaign (OR, WA)
- Recipient: Multnomah County/Clean Rivers Coalition
- EPA Grant amount: $174,045
- Success Story: Pesticide Reduction Outreach Campaign (pdf)
6. Washington Department of Ecology Local Source Control City of Vancouver FY21-22 (WA)
- Recipient: Washington Department of Ecology
- EPA Grant amount: $105,000
- Success Story: Washington Department of Ecology Local Source Control City of Vancouver (pdf)
7. Clearwater River Watershed Baseline Monitoring and Toxics Assessment (ID)
- Recipient: Nez Perce Tribe
- EPA Grant amount: $200,000
- Success Story: Clearwater River Watershed Baseline Monitoring and Toxics Assessment (pdf)
8. Grattix Boxes to Reduce Toxics or the GREAT (Get Real Environmental Attenuation of Toxics) Grattix Box Project (OR, WA)
- Recipient: Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership
- EPA Grant amount: $67,597
- Success Story: GREAT (Get Real Environmental Attenuation of Toxics) Grattix Box Project (pdf)
9. Using Crowdsourced Crayfish in Education, Engagement, and Bio-monitoring Relative to Mercury Pollution in the Spokane and Boise River Basins (ID, WA)
- Recipient: Regents of the University of Idaho
- EPA Grant amount: $198,957
- Success Story: Using Crowdsourced Crayfish in Education, Engagement, and Bio-monitoring Relative to Mercury Pollution in the Spokane and Boise River Basins (pdf)
10. Fish Consumption and Advisory Awareness Among Food Pantry Patrons Receiving Products of Lake Trout Suppression on Flathead Lake (MT)
- Recipient: University of Montana
- EPA Grant amount: $128,992
- Success Story: Fish Consumption and Advisory awareness among food pantry Patrons Receiving Products of Lake Trout Suppression on Flathead Lake (pdf)
11. Evaluating and Prioritizing Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Lower Columbia River (OR, WA)
- Recipient: University of Washington Tacoma at the Center for Urban Waters
- EPA Grant amount: $76,601
- Success Story: Evaluating and Prioritizing Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Lower Columbia River (pdf)
12. Upper Willamette Urban Waters Partnership Development and Program Expansion (OR)
- Recipient: Cascade Pacific Resource, Conservation & Development (RC&D)
- EPA Grant amount: $199,999
- Success Story: Upper Willamette Urban Waters Partnership Development and Program Expansion (pdf)
13. City of Vancouver Columbia Slope Water Quality Monitoring (WA)
- Recipient: City of Vancouver
- EPA Grant amount: $144,039
- Success Story: City of Vancouver Columbia Slope Water Quality Monitoring (pdf)
14. Columbia Gorge Pollution Prevention Education and Outreach Project (OR, WA)
- Recipient: Columbia Riverkeeper
- EPA Grant amount: $91,991
- Success Story: Columbia Gorge Pollution Prevention Education and Outreach Project (pdf)
About the Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance Program
Congress amended the Clean Water Act in 2016 by adding Section 123 (33 U.S.C. § 1275), which required EPA to establish a Columbia River Basin Restoration Program.
Section 123 directs EPA to develop a voluntary, competitive grant program for environmental protection and restoration programs throughout the Basin. The grant program offers funding assistance to eligible entities on a competitive basis.
EPA launched the first request for applications in 2019, and awarded over $2 million in 14 grants to tribal, state and local governments, non-profits and community groups throughout the Basin.
A second round of awards was announced in fall 2022.
For more information about the Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance Program, please contact:
- Michelle Wilcox (wilcox.michelle@epa.gov), 360-753-9469, EPA Region 10.
- Peter Brumm (brumm.peter@epa.gov), 406-457-5029, EPA Region 8.