WSP12258

• File Number: 8021
• Description: Section D General Correspondence - Western States Water Council
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 1/7/1994
• Author: Western States Water
• Title: Western States Water 1994 - Issues 1025-1076
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

strategy for obtaining another 400,000 acre-feet by
1999. . The biological opinion requires release of up to
2M acre-feet of water annually from the Corps'
Dworshak Dam and ReselVoir on the north fork of the
Clearwater River. In contrast, the Northwest Power
Planning Council (NPPC) seeks to obtain 1 M acre-feet
of water from the Snake River Basin through
conselVatlon and non-structural changes, The NMFS
biological opinion differs from its earlier draft recovery
plan, which calls for up to 8M acre-feet of water from
the Snake and Columbia River systems to assist in
collecting and transporting salmon smolts,

Thus, controversy and uncertainty continue
concerning plans to save dwindling salmon stocks in
the Pacific Northwest. Many factors have contributed
to the salmon's decline, Including dam construction
and hydropower production, timber harvesting,
grazing, mining, Irrigation, and fishing. Last October,
the NMFS Snake River salmon recovery team released
draft plan recommendations for peer review, but has
not yet released a plan for public review.

Of note, the team suggested the best option for
improving downstream migration of salmon is to
Improve "collection and transportation [barging] of
smoits around the dams, versus river migration of
smoits...which will require drawdown to riverbed levels
of the Snake River reselVoirs," The team concluded,
"of all the recovery measures that have been
proposed, the current transportation system Is the
one...tool that offers clear documentation that it can
single handedly deliver slgnnicant Increases In total
numbers of aduits returning to the Snake River...."
While the team did agree to a test drawdown of Lower
Granite Dam, "n a valid biological test is developed,"
It determined "the biological benefits of drawing down
John Day ReselVolr as part of the recovery plan are
likely to be small." The team suggested eliminating
some commercial fishing for sockeye salmon and
capping the total ocean and river halVest of Snake
River fall chinook at 50%. It recommended requiring
the live capture of fish to permit the release ot
selected Individuals, and the gradual elimination of glll-
netting In the Columbia River. The team also
recommended that the $300M per year from power
revenues currently being spent for salmon recovery be
sustained for at least ten years. Finally, the team
suggested that NMFS oversee recovery efforts with the
help of the Salmon Oversight Committee, an "impartial,
independent, science-based group."

Separately, NPPC has developed a strategy for
salmon that includes Improving barging methods and .
exploring reselVoir drawdowns, as well as finding
additional waters to be stored and managed for fish,
along with enhancing water use efficiency, The
strategy asserts no single measure can accomplish
salmon recovery goals. While the NMFS recovery
team found little scientnic evidence that reselVolr
drawdowns will Improve fish sUlVlval, the NPPC's
strategy "Identnies actions necessary to develop,
demonstrate, and Implement a...drawdown strategy for
the lower Snake River.... It Is the intent of the Council
to have the ...strategy implemented by April 1995,
unless it is shown to be...lnfeaslble, biologically
Imprudent, or inconsistent with the Northwest Power
Act."

Last December the governors of Idaho,
Washington, Montana, and Oregon issued a joint
statement supporting the NPPC's strategy for salmon,
saying, "We urge federal agencies, tribal governments,
state agencies and public groups Involved In fish
recovery In the Columbia River Basin to continue,
without delay, full Implementation of the Council's
program." Governor Roberts said, "The salmon can't
wait for us to get our act together and bring all of our
differences to the table.... We believe In the strategy
the Council has brought forward. There will be other .
requirements, ...decisions, [and] ...biologlcal and
sclentnlc evaluations.... But n we continue to delay
action, we will not have a chance to save the salmon."

MEETINGS

The University of Colorado's Natural Resources
Law Center will offer a conference entitled 'Regulatory
Takings & Resources: What Are the Constitutional
UmitS?" June 13-15. The meeting will address the law
of takings as related to mining, public lands, water,
wetlands, and endangered species. For information
call Katherine Taylor at [phone].

The Association of Stare Dam Safety Officials will
hold a serllls of regional technical seminars from May
to November 1994, Including a western conference
May 2-5, In Park City, Utah. A panel discussion,
'Current Studies in Probable Maximum Precipitation",
will be followed by a Jordanelle Dam tour. On May 5,
the technical seminar will focus on dam removal, For
Information call Susan Sorrell at [phone].

.

The WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL is an organization of representatives appointed by the Governors of
member states - Alaska, Arizona, Calnomia, Colorado. Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico. North Dakota, Oregon,
South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington. and Wyoming, and associate member states Montana and Oklahoma.