salmon

Summer is on its way. For all the warmth and joy the season brings, it can also mean danger for the fish in our rivers. Salmon need cool flowing water to migrate and spawn. Unfortunately, those flows have disappeared from many local streams. Every donation to WWT helps restore water to rivers for salmon. The first $10,000 donated until GiveBIG ends on May 7 will be matched!

Thanks to our supporters and partners, this may be our biggest year EVER for permanently protecting water instream. See what's on tap for river restoration at WWT in 2025.

WWT has partnered with the City of Walla Walla and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to restore Mill Creek flows since 2021. We are excited to share that these restored Mill Creek flows are the first protected across the OR/WA border! This water is protected in both states and provides vital flow for Chinook salmon, steelhead, bull trout, and other fish.

We are seeking a collaborative Project Manager who is enthusiastic about working in rural communities. This team member will partner with landowners, tribes, conservation districts, land trusts, and govt. agencies to implement projects with lasting benefits to fish, streams, and communities. Learn more and apply today!

WWT signed agreements in March to kick off a project that will permanently restore more than 1.3 billion gallons of water annually to Icicle Creek. Our partners have hit the ground running since then! Catch up on Icicle Creek restoration efforts and infrastructure improvements today.

The WA State Dept. of Ecology has declared a drought emergency for nearly the entire state. Anticipating this action, our team has been planning a drought response program that will boost flows for salmon. By donating to WWT during GiveBIG, you support threatened salmon at a critical time.

Our Icicle Creek project reached a major milestone after more than a decade of work, collaboration, and negotiation. Upon its completion, this project will restore more than 1.3 billion gallons of water annually forever to the lower part of Icicle Creek!

In January, we welcomed the return of snow to the mountains. Since those storms, however, snow has not accumulated as we had hoped. While there is still time for the snowpack to build up, our team is preparing for what could be a dangerously dry summer.

From enhancing flows for fish during drought to protecting water instream forever and advancing new conservation methods, 2023 was a big year in our work to restore and protect rivers and streams across Washington. Check out some of our conservation impact highlights in this post!

Washington Water Trust was founded in 1998 to forge a new path for restoring water to local rivers and streams. More than 25 years and hundreds of water transactions later, our collaborative approach continues delivering incredible results! Explore our 2022 Annual Report and get current on Washington Water Trust.