Butte Creek/Sutter Bypass Weir 1 Improvement Design and Permitting Project
This grant funds the design and permitting to replace a failing weir with a rock ramp at Butte Creek/Sutter Bypass, ensuring reliable water delivery and fish passage for agriculture and wildlife refuge needs.
Funder: Fish and Wildlife Service
Due Dates: July 19, 2026 (Full application/Closing date)
Funding Amounts: Up to $850,000 total; one award anticipated; no cost share required.
Summary: Funding for final design and permitting of partial weir removal and rock ramp construction at Weir 1 to improve fish passage and water diversion in Butte Creek/Sutter Bypass.
Description
This opportunity supports the design and permitting for the partial removal of Weir 1 and construction of a rock ramp in the Butte Creek Sutter Bypass West Borrow Canal. The project aims to restore reliable water diversion and improve fish passage—especially for spring-run Chinook salmon—by replacing a dilapidated weir with a structure that maintains appropriate water levels and meets fish passage criteria. A feasibility study and alternatives analysis have been completed; this grant will fund the development of 100% construction-ready designs, permitting, and associated technical work.
The project is a regional priority for aquatic habitat restoration in California’s Central Valley, addressing both ecological and water management objectives. The preferred approach is partial weir removal with a rock ramp, designed to maintain water surface elevation while improving passage for target fish species and minimizing negative impacts to adjacent wetlands and agricultural infrastructure.
