A historic milestone for fish recovery in the Yakima Basin! After 86 years, removal of the Bateman Island Causeway is officially underway—reopening natural flow through the Yakima Delta and restoring critical passage for salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey. “The removal of the causeway has been a long time coming,” said Yakama Nation Tribal Council Chairman, Gerald Lewis. “The Yakama Nation has worked very hard on behalf of the Yakima River and all of the water that flows down. With the removal of the causeway, it will open up the flow of the Yakima River and allow the fish to find exactly where they need to go. Not only the sockeye but the spring chinook salmon that travel up there to spawn and go up to our fish hatchery.” We are grateful to our partners for their leadership and collaboration.
See Video here: Bateman Island Causeway Removal Video 2026