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UU.i1..<iJ I . WESTERN STATES WATER /)rtJ TIIE WEEKLY NEWSLETI'ER OF TIIE WESTERN STATES WATER COUNcn. Creekview Plaza, Suite A-201/942 East 7145 So. I Midvale, Utah 84047 { (801) 561-5300 {FAX (801) 255-9642 Chairman - Dave Kennedy; Executive Director - Craig Bell; Editor - Norm Johnson; Typist - Carrie Curvin ENVlRONMENTIWAlER RESOURCES Endangered Species Act/lJ:rNer Snake River . In March 1993, the U.S. Army Corps of EnQineers distributed a draft final Phase I Technical Report to members of a Drawdown Committee sponsored by the Northwest Power PlanninQ Council as part of a Columbia River Salmon Mitigation Analysis, System Configuration Study. Alternative 13 focused on dam modilications and a drawdown strategy similar to that proposed by the State of Idaho in 1991. It would involve modifying and operating Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower Monumental and Ice Harbor Dams at a constant level 33-43 feet below a full pool. The Corps estimated the cost of structural modilications to be $1.3B, over 14.5 years, which critics have used in arguing against any such drawdown strategies. The Idaho Department of Water Resources asked Edward L McLean, an experienced construction consultant, to independently review the Corps' cost and time projections. Mr. McLean has 35 years experience in civil enQineering and major project construction management. He has worked for major engineering companies on the American Falls, Brownlee, Dworshak, Mossy Rock, and Oxbow projects. The McLean report, released last December, estimates the cost of modifying the four dams at $610M over 8.5 years. The McLean report suggests ihal substantial time and money savings might be achieved by employing alternative dam modilications and construction methods. . The Corps' alternative 13 included construction of adult and juvenile fish passage facilities, stilling basin drum gates, other miscellaneous modilications, and riprap slope protection. However, the report suggests using .rock weirs downstream of the three upstream darns to eliminate the ne.ect for . drum .gates and modilicationof. the fish' ladders.. The weirs would maintain the tailwater high enougl1for aci,..1t fish to swim into the erltrances. . Ice Harbor. needs no weir since McNarry Reservoir. downstream would not be drawn down. Substantial cost savings are possible since the rock weirs can be constructed with little difficulty, in a shorter period of time and posSibly during migration periOds without injuring fish. Time savings mean substantial cost savings, because of inflation. Further, the report estimates cost projections for engineering and design and contingency allowances appear high. The . Corps reportedly haS reexamined the rock weir concept and found it feasible; Still, opponents of dam modifications continue to favor barging fY'JSW #1038). WATER aUAUTY Clean Water Act - ReauthorizaIion Senate plans to reauthorize the Clean Water Act (CWA), including the intention to bring S. 1114 to the floor in June, will be complicated by opinions expressed in a recerit letter to Senator Baucus (D-MT) signed by.IDf his colleagues. The Senators are "members from agriculturally dependent states...interested in the [CWA] reauthorization," according to the letter. They noted they have closely followed the progress of S. 1114, and "are supportive of the bill's goal of a targeted, watershed approach and timely implementation of best management practices to address non-point source pollution (NPSP) and impaired watersheds." "However," they said, "we are concerned with many provisions that remain in the legislation... [that] are excessively restrictive and would prove extremely costly for family