A Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order has cleared the way for a
proposed Columbia Basin “spill exchange” the agency says will both
assure flexibility and reliability” in the regional power grid and
protect fish species listed under the Endangered Species Act.
A research project on Caspian terns in Commencement Bay has been cut
short due to concerns raised by tribal fisheries co-managers about the
birds’ consumption of area salmon, according to the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Acting administrator Steve Wright said Wednesday that the Bonneville
Power Administration’s wholesale customers have 16 days to make
commitments to reduce their power purchases if they want to dodge an
Oct. 1 price increase of more than 100 percent.
The federal power marketing agency has calculated that it needs about
3,700 average megawatts of additional supply to meet all of its
customers’ loads in the six months starting Oct. 1.
A limited amount of spill at lower Columbia River dams will continue at
least through next week, said the Bonneville Power Administration after
a meeting today (June 1) of the federal executive committee.
BPA said the regional response to load reduction efforts and the
addition of diesel generators is allowing the agency to extend the spill
for at least one more week, but that spill could go through mid-June.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that federal
“biological opinions” sanctioning certain federal timber sales in the
Pacific Northwest did not adequately protect habitat for salmon stocks
listed under the Endangered Species Act.
The Oregon House of Representatives on Tuesday approved by a 32-26 vote
a bill that would establish a moratorium on destroying hatchery-bred,
returning adult salmon while a scientific panel studies those fishes’
role in wild fish recovery.
A group representing about 150 members of Congress from the Midwest and
Northeast this week renewed its call for ending the Pacific Northwest’s
exclusive rights to buy federal hydroelectricity and for raising its
price to market rates.
Reacting to improved news about the region’s electric system reliability
from the Northwest Power Planning Council, the Bonneville Power
Administration said today (May 25) that it will not only extend spill at
two lower Columbia River dams through next Friday, it will also spill
water through McNary and John Day dam spillways through Tuesday in an
effort to move juvenile salmon downstream.
Emergency measures including industrial power curtailments, reduced
water spills at dams and temporary generators are easing the Northwest’s
electricity shortage, but the crisis is not over, according to the
latest analysis by the Northwest Power Planning Council.
Emergency measures including industrial power curtailments, reduced
water spills at dams and temporary generators are easing the Northwest’s
electricity shortage, but the crisis is not over, according to the
latest analysis by the Northwest Power Planning Council.
Taking issue with President George Bush’s agenda on many issues,
including energy and the environment, Sen. James Jeffords, R-Vt., on
Thursday quit the Republican Party, handing control of the Senate to
Democrats.
Taking issue with President George Bush’s agenda on many issues,
including energy and the environment, Sen. James Jeffords, R-Vt., on
Thursday quit the Republican Party, handing control of the Senate to
Democrats.
The barge ride for nearly 360,000 juvenile salmon and steelhead
collected at the lower Snake River’s Lower Granite Dams was cut short
early Saturday morning when problems with fish tank overflow screens
forced the fishes’ release upstream from Ice Harbor Dam.
The barge ride for nearly 360,000 juvenile salmon and steelhead
collected at the lower Snake River’s Lower Granite Dams was cut short
early Saturday morning when problems with fish tank overflow screens
forced the fishes’ release upstream from Ice Harbor Dam.
An independent scientific panel this week urged regional entities to
learn as much as they can from this good news-bad news year for Columbia
Basin salmon recovery efforts.
The good news is that many of the basin’s salmon stocks are returning
this year in larger, and sometimes record, numbers to spawn naturally or
revisit the hatchery of their origin.
The Bonneville Power Administration began spilling water at two lower
Columbia River dams this week to help juvenile salmon safely negotiate
the dams on their journey to the ocean.
The federal power marketing agency made the decision to begin spill
despite not having a final assurance from Grant County Public Utility
District that it could trade spill for power later in the spring and
summer.
The term “surplus hatchery fish” has, at least for this year, has been
erased from the Methow Basin salmon management dictionary following a
landmark agreement that focuses on the collection of local, naturally
spawning spring chinook to replenish hatchery egg banks and lets
unneeded hatchery stocks seek a spawning niche in the river’s mainstem.
A bill that sponsors say would allow more hatchery salmon to spawn
naturally and require the state to use hatchery salmon eggs to replenish
fish runs was signed into law late Tuesday by Washington Gov. Gary Locke
over the protestations of the federal agency charged with protecting and
rebuilding “wild” salmon and steelhead runs.
The Bonneville Power Administration Wednesday announced an agreement
with Alcoa that will curtail operations at the Alcoa Ferndale (Intalco)
plant for up to two years and compensate workers in the interim.
In announcing his much anticipated energy plan, President George Bush on
Thursday did not propose short-term measures to address high electricity
prices and drought in the Northwest.
A proposal to begin spilling water now at lower Columbia River hydro
projects to improve passage for a building juvenile salmon and steelhead
migration hit a snag Friday (today) when the Bonneville Power
Administration and Grant County Public Utility District failed to win
regional support for the plan.
A proposal to begin spilling water now at lower Columbia River hydro
projects to improve passage for a building juvenile salmon and steelhead
migration hit a snag Friday (today) when the Bonneville Power
Administration and Grant County Public Utility District failed to win
regional support for the plan.
Two Oregon leaders are supporting a plan by Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, to
make Northwest salmon recovery a national priority and boost federal
funding by $400 million next year.
Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., this week gave his endorsement, and Gov. John
Kitzhaber praised the overall $688 million plan, which Crapo announced
on May 3.
With drought a near certainty, fishery managers and hydro operators are
trying to broker a deal that frees any amount of water that would help
move migrating Snake River juvenile salmon through the Lower Granite Dam
reservoir and improve migration conditions in the lower Snake River.
The pickings have been somewhat meager to date, but state fishery
officials are hoping that an ongoing “tangle” or “tooth” net
experimental fishery will yield information that allows commercial
gill-net salmon fishers to regain a foothold in the Columbia River.
An Earthwise Knowledge Initiative Publication
