Washington: $2M for river weeds
Multiple local outlets reported a roughly $2 million settlement to combat river‑clogging weeds that have been harming salmon runs in Eastern Washington, a development shared between April 16 and 18. (x.com) The coverage names the settlement as targeted relief for habitat problems that block migration and degrade spawning areas. (x.com)
Darigold has agreed to pay $2 million to the Yakama Nation to help clear water stargrass from the lower Yakima River after a Clean Water Act lawsuit over pollution from its Sunnyside plant. (columbiariverkeeper.org) The settlement was announced April 13, 2026, and still needs approval from U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pennell in Spokane. Columbia Riverkeeper sued Darigold in summer 2025, alleging more than four years of permit violations tied to wastewater discharges. (capitalpress.com) Darigold said it did not admit the allegations and denied causing environmental harm. The Seattle-based dairy cooperative said it has upgraded its wastewater treatment system over the last year and plans additional improvements. (capitalpress.com) The money is aimed at water stargrass, an underwater plant that now chokes long stretches of the lower Yakima. Yakama Nation fisheries manager Tom Elliott said the funding will support a decades-long restoration effort for salmon and other migratory fish. (columbiariverkeeper.org) Water stargrass is native to Washington, but in the lower Yakima it has spread so heavily that local agencies describe it as acting like an invasive weed. Benton Conservation District says the plant slows the river, raises temperature problems, lowers dissolved oxygen, clogs irrigation canals and hinders salmon migration. (bentoncd.org) The lower Yakima stretch most closely tracked by federal scientists runs 43 miles from Prosser Dam to the Columbia River. The U.S. Geological Survey says that river reach supplies irrigation water in a hot, low-rainfall farm region, which raises the stakes for both fish habitat and water delivery. (usgs.gov) Researchers and local partners have tied the plant’s spread to low summer flows, warmer water, nutrient buildup and the loss of scouring spring floods. Mid-Columbia Fisheries says dense mats trap fine sediment, cover spawning gravel used by fall Chinook and can create poor to lethal conditions for salmonids. (midcolumbiafisheries.org) The weed problem has already pushed agencies into river work. Benton Conservation District said crews removed about 504,000 pounds of plant material in 2023 over 26 days, covering 15.3 acres near Horn Rapids Park above Wanawish Dam. (bentoncd.org) Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Yakama Nation Fisheries also began a September 2025 pilot project near Prosser and Benton City to improve fish passage and spawning habitat. Northwest Public Broadcasting reported last year that water stargrass was thriving along more than 60 miles of river and had killed many salmon. (wdfw.medium.com) (nwpb.org) Under the settlement, Darigold also agreed to stipulated penalties of $15,000 a day for future daily discharge-limit violations, or $25,000 for monthly violations, capped at $150,000 a year. If the judge signs off, the case closes with the $2 million payment aimed at the same river reach where salmon have been struggling to get through. (capitalpress.com)
