Pacific Salmon Lose Summer Water Spill to Hydropower

By J.R. Pegg

WASHINGTON, DC, July 7, 2004 (ENS) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved a plan on Tuesday to reduce the amount of water spilled this summer over four federal dams in the Pacific Northwest on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

The summer spill over the dams helps young salmon migrate to the sea, but it cuts the output of hydroelectric power and utility executives have lobbied long and hard against the practice.

In past years, summer spill continued through August 31 at the four dams.

The new plan will end spill operations at the Snake River's Bonneville dam and the Columbia River's The Dalles dam at the end of July.

Spill operations at Ice Harbor and John Day dams - both on the Columbia River - will end on August 22.

Officials from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the federal energy wholesaler in charge of the hydroelectric projects in question, estimate the reductions will cut summer spill at the four dams some 39 percent save Northwest ratepayers some $18 million to $28 million this year.

Wild salmon on the Snake River. (Photo courtesy NOAA)

In its final decision, the Army Corps said new mitigation measures will offset any harm caused to the fish by the reduced spill, citing the approval of the plan by NOAA Fisheries.

Last week the federal wildlife agency concluded that the proposed spill and flow modifications meet the needs of affected fish listed under the Endangered Species Act and said it would "provide the same or greater biological benefits."

The mitigation measures include: increased water releases on the lower Snake River in July; strengthening of an existing predator control program and improve rearing conditions for fall chinook in the Hanford Reach; and funding of additional habitat and hatchery projects.

"We are interested in finding sustainable fish and wildlife solutions that benefit both fish and ratepayers," said Brigadier General William Grisoli, Army Corps Northwestern Division Commander. "Our overall goal is to maintain fish protection while reducing costs to the region."

The Coalition for Smart Salmon Recovery, a partnership of farmers, utility customers and public providers, praised approval of the plan.

President George W. Bush has come under fire from salmon advocates for his policies toward the fish, including a decision to include hatchery fish when considering endangered species protection for wild salmon. (Photo by Paul Morse courtesy White House)

Salmon advocates say the new water policy does little for salmon or ratepayers.

"The Bush administration is setting up a false choice for Northwesterners between salmon and energy," said Rob Maronis, northwest regional director of American Rivers. "This short-sighted decision will likely kill thousands of salmon and steelhead and will further undermine the Bush administration's salmon plan, which has already been found inadequate by a federal court and has not been fully funded or implemented."

The four Native American tribes with treaty fishing rights said last month they would sue to block the plan, which they believe violates the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and guts the faltering federal salmon plan.

U.S. District Court Judge James Redden ruled in May 2003 the plan violated the ESA because there was no certainty that the recommended actions in the plan would be carried out.

Fear over the court's reaction to reducing summer spills kept federal managers from approving the policy for the BPA in summer 2003.

Less summer spill means more salmon will be transported round the dams in trucks and barges. (Photo courtesy Save Our Wild Salmon)

Salmon advocates say the summer spill is essential and that the cuts come against an expectation of low water flows and high river temperatures, conditions that do not bode well for migrating salmon.

In addition to direct impacts like slower migration times, increased predation and hotter river temperatures, the plan is likely to result in more fish being trucked and barged downriver.

Maronis says the plan will provide minimal, if any, benefits to Northwest ratepayers in the form of lower electricity bills.

"This spill rollback would save Northwest ratepayers as little as eight cents per month, and not more than $0.36 per month," he said.