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. . . Western States Water Council Water Resources Committee Minutes Seattle, Washington July 14, 2005 She observed with respect to fisheries and environmental challenges that trout love chopped up kokanee salmon. There are problems with reversal of hydrograph, with warmer winter waters, etc. While fish adapted to high summer flows, there are now only minimum flows and the Corps is trying to adjust operations for fish adaption. Regarding Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirements, Ms. Valentine noted that Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) are not an option for federal agencies and more lawsuits are likely over dam operations. The Kootenai is home to listed bull trout, and other protected fish include ling cod and burbot. The Corps is working with tribes and other groups to avoid future listing. At Libby, some interests want another I Maf for fish flows, reducing recreation on the reservoir. There are many competing interests. The Center for Biological Diversity would remove the dam. Balancing competing uses and addressing fisheries issues is difficult, but the Corps is trying to develop and test environmentally sound alternatives. Questions & Answers Jack Stults noted that the most significant issue in Montana is resident fish, bull trout and sturgeon. Montana is the source of 40% of the flow aUgIflentation for the Columbia River, which only creates a .1 % increase in flow velocity (which is important for outmigrating salmon smolts). He added that the six mainstem dams on the Missouri River hold 75 Maf of water, and refilled after years of drought with the flood of 1993. He observed that without that flood storage, had peak flows on the Kansas and Missouri Rivers come on the same day, Kansas City's levees would have failed. RECLAMATION STATES EMERGENCY DROUGHT RELIEF ACT Jack Stults briefly reported on legislation to extend the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 (S. 648 and H.R. 2925) and asked members to encouraged their congressional delegations to join a cosponsors. At the April meetings, the Council approved a letter to Senator Pete Domenici, Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, that expressed strong support for such legislation, as well as reiterated support for enactment of the National Drought Preparedness Act of2005 (S. 802 and H.R. 1386). The letter was subsequently dated May 6. BRIDGJNG-THE-HEADGATE PARTNERSBIP/WATER CONSERVATION PROTOCOL Sue Lowry updated members on Bridging-the-Headgate (BHP) and April's water conservation roundtable discussion. A summary of the latter was included under Tab V. The subcommittee will be working on a water conservation protocol with Mark Limbaugh, Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, using findings from a 1995 workshop as a basis for the protocol. A renewed BHP "Declaration of Cooperation" has been drafted for signature. 9