Enumclaw has received yet another grant to fund the city’s Boise Creek reroute project.

Last week, it was reported that about $1.15 million from the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board was given to the city, with another $590,000 slated if the funding is passed by the state legislature in 2023.

The state Department of Ecology is now chipping in with an additional $1.7 million, it announced on Oct. 5; it’s part of a $35 million grant program, divvied up to 26 projects around the state.

With more than $3 million in grants now acquired, the construction portion of the Boise Creek project should now be covered — the only thing standing in the way is a permit awaiting approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Boise Creek currently runs through the Enumclaw Golf Course, and more than occasionally floods it, rendering some holes unplayable.

Workers will reroute about 0.6 miles of the creek to flow along the forest at the east edge of the course. Chappel Springs, a Boise Creek tributary that runs in a 900-foot culvert through part of the golf course, will also be rerouted.

While this will clearly benefit local and visiting golfers, the project is actually for the fish that use the river — namely the salmon and trout that spawn in the fall and winter.

Moving the creek to the forest edge will shade the river, which is important because warm water is fatal to the fish. Additional work on the creek will diversify the habitat, providing better areas for salmon and trout to rest, eat, or hide.

The city of Enumclaw hopes to get construction started in 2023, but it’s possible it won’t start until the following year.