For the first time since they were created, 31 sites dedicated to Northwest tribes who fish the Columbia River could see an immediate infusion of cash to improve conditions.

The 31 sites were created for members of the Umatilla, Nez Perce, Warm Springs and Yakama tribes after the federal government flooded their traditional fishing sites and villages. Nearly all have fallen into disrepair as a $6.3 million pot of money allocated for their maintenance for the next 50 years runs out in less than two decades due to a high volume of use and inadequate facilities.

One particularly decrepit site, Lone Pine, overlooks the cascade of water released from The Dalles Dam every day. Oregon lawmakers have pushed to focus on fixing Lone Pine’s sewer and water infrastructure, safety and sanitation issues first as a test case to show that a relatively small amount of money can make the site livable for the 35 families who stay there year-round after the creation of The Dalles Dam flooded out the tribes’ homes on the river’s banks. Then, they say, they will ask for the same to be done at the rest of the sites, according to the conditions at each.

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate allocated $11 million to do so in a unanimously supported bill. Oregon and Washington lawmakers helped usher the money through in a version of a bill approved by the U.S. House in April. The bill also calls on the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs to assess the other 30 sites dedicated to allowing four tribes to carry out their federally protected right to fish the river.

“The current conditions at Columbia River fishing sites are unacceptable, unjust, and must be fixed,” Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, said. “I’ve personally seen the shocking conditions at Lone Pine. We owe better to the tribal communities in the Northwest, and the very least we can do is ensure basic sanitation and safety. I’m going to keep pushing until this bill is — hopefully, very soon — at the president’s desk and signed into law.”

Merkley and Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, visited Lone Pine in 2016 after an investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive found that for 80 years, the federal government had ignored its promises to the four tribes that live along the river.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was supposed to replace the housing lost when the Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day dams were built. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was put in charge of maintenance at the fishing sites after they were built.

Neither agency followed through.

The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission currently maintains and operates the fishing sites. The pot of money it inherited from the Bureau of Indian Affairs started to run out sooner than expected because it was based on vast underestimations of how many tribal members would still try to use the sites after salmon runs diminished from the dams blocking their way.

In 2016, Merkley and Blumenauer introduced a bill aimed at replacing housing flooded by three dams. That eventually became law, and work on developing plans for the villages started before being blocked by President Donald Trump’s administration.

After about a year, Oregon and Washington lawmakers forced the administration to continue the village planning.

But another bill for more resources to keep up safety and sanitation standards at the sites that was introduced within weeks of the former stalled time and again, despite bipartisan support from Washington and Oregon.

That bill was finally revived by Blumenauer and passed through the U.S. House earlier this year. It was expected to also sail through the Senate but ended up with small amendments from Senate Republicans that delayed approval.

Thursday, Merkley said he had a deal with the House that would ensure the version approved by the Senate would be supported and sent to the president’s desk for a signature.

The four tribes said Thursday that they are pleased with the progress. Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Intergovernmental Affairs Director Charles Hudson said that he is confident that the bill will be signed into law, despite past hang ups from the Trump administration.

“Anyone who goes and witnesses first-hand the distress and conditions of the sites is compelled to act,” Hudson said. “We feel there is enough awareness now that this bill was not controversial. The case is evident, the need is evident, and we’re moving forward.”

-- Molly Harbarger

mharbarger@oregonian.com | 503-294-5923 | @MollyHarbarger

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