EPA announces $3.5M for Nampa wetlands stormwater treatment projects, community engagement

EPA announces $3.5M for Nampa wetlands stormwater treatment projects, community engagement

May 8, 2024

NAMPA, Idaho - Today, Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe announced a Columbia River Basin Restoration Program Toxics Reduction Lead Grant for $3.5 million to the City of Nampa, a project funded by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The grant is for a stormwater treatment project to improve water quality, reduce toxics and protect salmon.

"Funding from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is enhancing our local partnership with the City of Nampa to help restore the Columbia River Basin, protect public health, improve water quality, and support salmon threatened by harmful pollution," said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. "EPA is committed to investing in innovative infrastructure to reduce toxic contaminants, improve watershed health, respect Tribal treaty rights, and ensure that the Basin can remain a vital economic engine that supports a wide range of recreational activities."

In partnership with regional stakeholders, the City of Nampa's Columbia River Basin Tributaries Water Quality Improvements Project will use a free water surface wetland to capture and treat stormwater runoff. This innovative, constructed wetland will improve water quality, reduce runoff, and promote citizen engagement through the process of "Measure - Treat - Implement - Educate."

"EPA has been collaborating with the City of Nampa for years on stormwater management with the goal of improving water quality in the Columbia River Basin," said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. "This grant will support our project partners as they advance innovative strategies to reduce toxics."

This permanent project will serve as a pilot to help determine viable treatment options for all of Canyon County through the development of a regional online repository titled "One Water, One People." Partners include the City of Caldwell, Idaho Transportation Department and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.

"The City of Nampa is excited for the opportunity to utilize this ground for the Karcher Wetland Project and greatly appreciate EPA's support through Columbia River Basin grant funds," said Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling. "This innovative project will improve water quality on Indian Creek and is another example of Nampa's good stewardship of our environmental resources."

Treating stormwater before it reaches area waterways is essential for improving water quality and environmental health for the local community, as well as those downstream in the Columbia River Basin. This project will focus on improvements that contribute to water quality in Indian and Mason creeks in Nampa.

Background on the Columbia River Basin

The Columbia River Basin covers 260,000 square miles, 16 federally recognized tribes, across seven states including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. The Basin provides benefits including commercial fisheries, agriculture, forestry, recreation, and electric power generation. Human activities have contributed toxic contaminants to the environment and throughout the Basin, fish species have accumulated contaminant levels that are harmful to people and wildlife. Toxics in fish are a primary health concern for Columbia River Basin tribal people and other high fish consumers.

Congress amended the Clean Water Act in 2016 by adding Section 123, establishing a Columbia River Basin Restoration Program to develop a voluntary, competitive grant program for eligible entities to fund environmental protection and restoration programs throughout the Basin. In 2020, EPA awarded $2,053,903 in 14 grants throughout the Basin to tribal and state governments, municipalities, NGOs, universities, and other entities. These grant projects are implementing and developing monitoring, promoting agricultural best practices, building green infrastructure, and increasing pollution prevention and public engagement and education. 

In 2022, the EPA Columbia River Basin Program received $79 million over five years from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding provides EPA the ability to grow the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program and significantly increase competitive grants throughout the Basin to reduce toxics. 

Last September, President Biden issued a Memorandum on Restoring Healthy and Abundant Salmon, Steelhead, and Other Native Fish Populations in the Columbia River Basin. In the memo, the President called for "a sustained national effort to restore healthy and abundant native fish populations in the Basin."  

The Columbia River Basin Restoration Program is focused on engaging tribal and underserved communities in efforts to identify and reduce threats to their environment and community health. EPA's commitment to reducing toxics in fish and water in the Columbia River Basin is key to EPA's ongoing trust responsibility to tribal governments. Toxics reduction will support climate resilience for the Columbia River Basin ecosystem by reducing aquatic ecosystem and human health stressors in an environment stressed by severe climatic events.