More than 1.4 million will be invested in salmon habitat recovery projects in the San Juan islands.

Seven organizations will share more than $1.4 million in funding for projects to improve salmon habitat in San Juan County.

All told, the state Salmon Recovery Funding Board announced Dec. 16 the awarding of $42.8 million in grants to protect and restore salmon populations to communities across Washington state.

“Salmon are an important part of Washington’s economy and culture. These grants are helping us reverse the decline in salmon populations we’ve seen over the past two decades,” funding board Chairman Steve Tharinger said in a press release.

“These grants are not only good for salmon, the environment and the people of Washington, but they are good for the economy because much of this money will be awarded to local organizations to do restoration work in their local communities.”

The local projects

Friends of the San Juans: Restoring Barlow Bay Shoreline, $86,310.

The Friends of the San Juans will use this grant to restore water quality, intertidal and beach conditions in Barlow Bay by removing a derelict dock, creosote pilings and degraded rock armoring. Mackaye Harbor, which includes Barlow Bay, is one of four priority shorelines in San Juan County because of its multiple spawning sites for surf smelt and Pacific sand lance, which are either eaten by salmon or eaten by salmon prey, and because of its eelgrass, which provides salmon places to hide from predators.

The Friends of the San Juans will contribute $15,240 in donations of cash, equipment and labor.

Friends of the San Juans: Researching San Juan County Feeder Bluffs, $93,900.

The Friends of the San Juans will use this grant to complete analysis of historic shoreline feeder bluffs that contribute sediment to salmon habitat areas. The Friends =will contribute $16,565 in donated labor.

San Juan Preservation Trust: Protecting Cascade Creek, $224,000.

The San Juan Preservation Trust will use this grant to buy and permanently protect 3.66 acres of riparian corridor, shoreline and tidelands vital to salmon habitat in Cascade Creek on Orcas Island. An additional 8.5 acres would be donated through a conservation easement by the adjoining property owners. Together, the entire salmon habitat portion and nearly .4 mile of the creek would be protected permanently.

The San Juan Preservation Trust will contribute $127,500 in donated land.

Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group: Restoring Thatcher Bay Shoreline, $309,521.

The Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group will use this grant to remove wood waste, and the toxic sulfide contamination associated with it, from the Thatcher Bay shoreline.

The Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group will contribute $246,992 in donated materials.

San Juan County: Replacing Cascade Creek Culverts, $247,000.

The San Juan County Public Works Department will use this grant to replace two culverts with a 40-foot bridge at the mouth of Cascade Creek, where it flows into Buck Bay under Point Lawrence Road on Orcas Island.

San Juan County will contribute $173,000.

University of Washington: Assessing Salmon in the San Juan Islands, $297,836.

The University of Washington will use this grant to study the movement patterns of salmon and trout in the San Juan Islands.

The University of Washington will contribute $68,815 in donations of labor and materials.

Washington Water Trust: Assessing False Bay Watershed Flow and Habitat, $50,209.

The Washington Water Trust will use this grant to assess water quantity, quality, fish use and physical habitat in the False Bay watershed. The primary focus of the work will be on water quantity, including an assessment of water rights and flows.

The Washington Water Trust will contribute $15,540 in donations of equipment and labor.

Wild Fish Conservancy: Taking Inventory of Streams $150,000.

The Wild Fish Conservancy will use this grant to survey the San Juan Islands’ watersheds for cutthroat distribution, and conduct water type assessments. Crews also will identify any habitat restoration and protection opportunities and prioritize the top five projects.

The Wild Fish Conservancy will contribute $26,500 in donations of equipment and labor.

Several populations of salmon were put on the federal list of endangered species in 1991. By then, the number of salmon had fallen to only 40 percent of historic levels in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. By 1999, almost three-fourths of Washington’s watersheds were affected by Endangered Species Act listings of salmon and bull trout. Those listings set off a series of activities including the formation of the Salmon Recovery Funding Board to oversee the investment of state and federal funds for salmon recovery.

Since 2000, the board has awarded nearly $404 million in grants, funded by federal and state dollars, for 1,307 projects. Grantees have contributed nearly $160 million in matching resources, bringing the total investment to more than $564 million.