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.0:.: ..-n-l 0"," ,( , u..tdv . February 17, 1995 Issue No. 1083 REqEIVPr., RECEIVED c-F-EB!2 1 ., FEa 2 11995 recycled paper Colored. Water Celo...d\\XI(~,.. walepnservauon Board eo-"'atfJ>'tf~ THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL Creekview Plaza, Suite A-201 /942 East 7145 So. / Midvale, Utah 84047 / (801) 561-5300 / FAX (801) 255-9642 Chairman - Larry Anderson; Executive Director - Craig Bell; Editor - Tony WilIardson; Typist - Carrie C,..."i!! ENVIRONMENT Endangered Species/Columbia Basin . The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued a draft plan for protecting Northwest salmon, It comes after a court decision last year rejecting NMFS' 1993 biological opinion that current dam operations would not jeopardize three stocks of endangered fishes on the Snake River (WSW #1 06n It proposes further study of the controversial remedy of partially draining four federal Snake River dams at critical seasons of salmon migration which was set forth in the Northwest . Power Planning Council salmon strategy issued late last year (WSW #1075). Environmentalists claim this is the linchpin of any successful restoration effort Instead, it relies on physical dam modifications to provide easier passage for salmon, improved transportation of fish around dams, and moderate releases to provide additional flows at crucial stages of salmon migration. The NMFS plan would cost about $160 million annually. Residential power rates would rise an average of $2 to $3 a month, though industries claim their costs would rise up to $500 million annually. The Northwest Power Planning Council strategy would cost slightly more, The Northwest now enjoys some of the lowest power rates in the country, due primarily to inexpensive hydropower generated by Columbia River dams. Industrial interests say the plan is too expensive. Environmentalists say it doesn't go far enough. The plan will be submitted to a federal court later this month. . Endangered Species/Missouri River The U,S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on January 18 announced "there is substantial information" that the listing of Missouri River sturgeon chub and sicklefin chub as endangered "may be warranted." 60 Fed. Reg. 3614. Five environmental and tribal groups petitioned for listing of this pair of minnow-like fish, reportedly to put additional pressure on the Army Corps of Engineers as it considers changing the way it manages the river. The Corps has proposed to shorten the Missouri's navigation season, to keep more water upstream for fish and wildlife, and to provide a spring rise in the river to help fish reproduce. The listing decision is not expected for several months. For more information or to submit comments, write: Field Supervisor, USFWS, 1500 East Capitol Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58501, or phone (701) 250-4491. Comments on the petition will be accepted until April 18. In discussing the future of the Missouri River, a recent publication by John Thorson entitled River of Promise, River of Peri/ concludes: "The real fight...could result from the competition among those wanting water for hydropower production, navigation, and threatened or endangered species, These uses all benefit from instream flows, and the timing of the flows can be criticaL Navigation interests want water released between March and October; the Corps and WAPA (Westem Area Power Administration) want sufficient water in the reservoirs for mid-winter hydroproduction; the fish want high flows in the spring and early summer and reduced flows during late summer. Mississippi navigators would be damaged by continuing low flows from the MissourL." Drought conditions could lead to a major reformulation of how the Missouri River is managed." The book traces the history of Missouri River development and focuses on "the politics of managing the Missouri river." It is available from the University Press of Kansas, 2501 West 15th, Lawrence, KS 66049-3904; (913) 8644586 at a cost of $29.95. John Thorson serves as Special Master for the Arizona General Stream Adjudication and formerly served as director of the Missouri River Management Project for the Northern Lights Institute.