The Olympia City Council on July 28 approved $40,000 in grants for youth-led climate projects and received a progress update on the estimated $416 million Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project, the effort to restore tidal flow to Capitol Lake.

The council authorized an agreement with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors to administer a Youth Climate Action Fund grant, according to the council's meeting agenda.

The fund will support eight youth-led climate action projects at $5,000 each, targeting Olympia residents ages 15 to 24 who design and deliver local climate solutions.

The program is part of a Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative that has reached 300 cities across five continents, with more than 300,000 young people participating globally in 2026.

Estuary project enters final design phase

The centerpiece briefing of the evening was an update on the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project, which will restore 260 acres of estuarine and salt-marsh habitat at the mouth of the Deschutes River along downtown Olympia's waterfront.

The project calls for removing the 5th Avenue Dam and replacing the 5th Avenue Bridge to restore tidal exchange between Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet.

The new bridge will include vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian lanes. The project is in its 90% and 100% design phase in 2026, according to the project website. The estimated cost is about $416 million by the time construction starts, according to The Olympian.

The dam, built in 1951, created Capitol Lake 75 years ago.

Just days before the council meeting, the project team completed a drawdown of Capitol Lake water levels. The water gate on the 5th Avenue Dam was opened on July 19, allowing water to flow from Capitol Lake to Budd Inlet. Crews conducted shoreline visual surveys and structural assessments between Wednesday, July 22, and Friday, July 24, mirroring a similar drawdown in July 2024, according to a project newsletter.

The project is funded through a mix of federal and state sources, including a NOAA Fish Barrier Removal grant, a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Coastal Resilience Fund grant, and a Washington State Legislature appropriation through the Climate Commitment Act.

As we reported July 15, the city's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee also received a briefing on the 5th Avenue Bridge replacement earlier in July.

Parks Month and other business

The council also proclaimed July as Parks and Recreation Month and approved a second-quarter budget amendment.

The next public milestone for the estuary project is the Festival of the Steh-Chass, co-hosted by the Squaxin Island Tribe and the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team, on Friday, August 14, from noon to 4 p.m. at Heritage Park in Olympia.