Officials celebrate ambitious project that will transform US waterway: 'Will magnify benefits'

A causeway built around 1940 in Richland, Washington, that connected the shoreline to Bateman Island is being removed, sparking celebration among city officials. 

The original purpose of the causeway was to connect the Richland Wye area to Bateman Island and make farming more convenient. While in recent years Tri-Cities residents have used the causeway to walk to the island, which features a popular trail, the causeway has created numerous issues for the surrounding waters, according to the Yakima Herald-Republic. 

BATEMAN ISLAND CAUSEWAY REMOVAL BEGINS - Yakama Nation Fisheries celebrates another collaborative milestone with the...

Posted by Yakama Nation Fisheries on Monday, January 5, 2026

The causeway, located at the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima rivers, has led to increased water temperatures, reduced water flow, and degraded water quality, among other things. 

Most importantly, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, it blocked an ancient migration pathway for steelhead and salmon. This blockage not only created a bottleneck for salmon swimming through the Yakima River delta but also affected work happening upriver, such as a fish passage facility that is currently under construction. 

The increased water temperature has also had a negative effect on the rivers, with at least 75 sockeye salmon killed by these temperatures during a 2024 drought. Warmer temperatures have also contributed to an increase in bacteria, parasites, and mosquitoes in the water, as well as created a habitat perfect for invasive fish species to thrive. 

With the causeway removed, though, these problems should eventually be resolved. 

Mike Livingston, regional director for the Department of Fish and Wildlife, explained: "The success of the causeway removal project will magnify benefits to the whole Yakima River system for salmon."

Restoration projects like this one are vital conservation efforts that can improve biodiversity and create healthier ecosystems for wildlife, plants, and humans. 

Similar projects — such as the one undertaken by Dam Removal Europe, which focuses on removing obsolete dams to allow fish populations and ecosystems to rebound, or salmon habitat restoration in Washington state — demonstrate just how critical these efforts are in improving environments and health outcomes for communities.

Though officials haven't given a completion date for the causeway's removal, the work will continue into February.

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