Oregon Public Broadcasting

Federal stimulus money is going toward building new fishing sites for tribes along the Columbia River.

The Army Corps of Engineers announced this week that about $28 million will be used to create new fishing access points near The Dalles and Cascade Locks, Oregon.

Tribes say it means the federal government is finally close to fulfilling a promise it made to preserve fishing access when dams were built along the Columbia River starting in the 1930’s.  

But Audie Huber with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla says it’s a mixed blessing.

Audie Huber: “I don’t know if the responsibility will ever be complete to mitigate the loss of the fishing sites, because there were thousands of sites that are underwater, and we’ll end up with between 30 or 32.”

The Corps of Engineers is also using some stimulus money to complete the restoration of Celilo Village.  That’s a native community that was relocated when The Dalles Dam was completed in 1957.