Department Of State Lands Awards Over $208,000 To Projects That Enhance Oregon's Waterways - 07/23/26
SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of State Lands has awarded more than $208,000 through the Submerged Lands Enhancement Fund to support five projects that will restore fish habitat, address invasive aquatic plants, and improve public access to Oregon’s waterways.
"The Submerged Lands Enhancement Fund reflects our commitment to reinvesting in Oregon's public waterways,” said Director Kaitlin Lovell. “By supporting projects led by local partners, we're helping ensure these shared resources remain healthy, accessible, and resilient for generations to come."
2025–27 Grant Awards
- Recipient: Benton Soil and Water Conservation District
- Award: $61,090
- Project: Treat invasive aquatic plants, including invasive arrowhead (Saggitaria) and water primrose (Ludwigia) along a 16-mile reach of the middle Willamette River to improve habitat and water quality.
- Recipient: Willamette Riverkeeper
- Award: $40,640
- Project: Treat established infestations of invasive water primrose (Ludwigia) across priority sites in multiple counties along the Willamette River and side channels.
- Recipient: West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
- Award: $10,178
- Project: Survey and remove priority aquatic and riparian invasive plants in Multnomah Channel, Scappoose Bay, Sauvie Island, and Linnton Harbor.
- Recipient: City of Lincoln City
- Award: $10,000
- Project: Remove a deteriorated concrete structure at Devil's Lake to prepare the site for future installation of an ADA-accessible kayak launch at Regatta Park.
- Recipient: North Clackamas Watersheds Council
- Award: $86,446
- Project: Restore habitat in the Elk Rock Island backwater channel by installing large wood structures that create refuge for young salmon, steelhead, and lamprey.
"Seventy percent of Oregon's population lives in the Willamette Basin, so what happens there affects the vast majority of Oregonians,” shared Neil Schulman, Executive Director of North Clackamas Watersheds Council. “The Elk Rock Island Back Channel Project is critical because it's the only back channel in this stretch of the river and provides important rearing habitat for Willamette Basin and Lower Columbia salmon, steelhead, and lamprey. Instream projects on the Willamette mainstem are complex, and the Department of State Lands' support is vital to getting it to construction in 2027."
Together, these projects demonstrate the value of partnering with local organizations to care for Oregon's natural resources, providing lasting benefits for people, fish and wildlife, and the health of our waters.
About the Submerged Lands Enhancement Fund
Established by the Oregon Legislature in 2017 and administered by the Oregon Department of State Lands, the Submerged Lands Enhancement Fund is supported by a portion of the revenue generated through waterway authorizations. Eligible applicants include local governments, federally recognized Tribes, water improvement districts, watershed councils, park and recreation districts, ports, nonprofit organizations, and state agencies. The grants fund projects that improve water quality, restore fish and wildlife habitat, remove marine debris or derelict structures, improve public access, and protect the state's submerged and submersible lands. Learn more about the Submerged Lands Enhancement Fund at the Department of State Lands website.
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