3. BUSH BUDGET STATUS QUO FOR NMFS, BOOSTS OTHERS

/in , , ,

President George Bush's first budget maintains current funding levels
for Pacific salmon recovery programs, but they are more than $400
million below the amount estimated to be needed to implement the
Columbia Basin salmon recovery plan.

In February, Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber asked Bush administration
officials for an increase of $566 million - $438 million in FY02 and
$128 million as a supplemental add-on in FY01.

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3. BUSH BUDGET STATUS QUO FOR NMFS, BOOSTS OTHERS

/in , , ,

President George Bush's first budget maintains current funding levels
for Pacific salmon recovery programs, but they are more than $400
million below the amount estimated to be needed to implement the
Columbia Basin salmon recovery plan.

In February, Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber asked Bush administration
officials for an increase of $566 million - $438 million in FY02 and
$128 million as a supplemental add-on in FY01.

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4. GROUPS THREATEN LAWSUIT OVER HYDRO OPERATIONS PLAN

/in , ,

A coalition of fishing and conservation groups on Thursday gave notice of their intent to file a series of lawsuits unless the federal agencies act immediately wring water from the upper Snake River to help migrating salmon in what is shaping up to be a drought year.

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1. RIVER OPERATIONS PLAN BASED ON WATER FORECASTS

/in

The Federal Executives laid a proposal on the table today (April 13)
that, when approved by the end of April, will guide river operations
this spring and summer. There are few surprises in the operations plan
except that it apparently raises the bar on when discretionary water
would be available for spill.

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1. BPA DECLARES EMERGENCY, PUTS HOLD ON SPILL

/in ,

Continued drought-like weather, near record low river flows and the West
Coast power shortage aligned this week, causing the Bonneville Power
Administration to conclude that the impact on the power system of
spilling water through dam spillways to aid fish passage would be too
negative.

Therefore, BPA instead declared a power system emergency and announced
it would not spill at dams at least beyond next week.

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2. COUNCIL FAVORS LESS SPILL, MAXIMUM FISH

/in ,

A Northwest Power Planning Council biological analysis released this
week suggests that in 2001 -- with Columbia and Snake river flows
predicted at near-record lows -- barging most juvenile salmon and
steelhead through the federal hydrosystem will result in survival as
high or higher than if the fish were left in the river to migrate.

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3. ISAB SUGGESTS TESTING SURFACE SPILL OPTIONS

/in ,

With all signs pointing to a reduction in the amount of water normally
spilled at Columbia Basin hydroelectric projects to help migrating
juvenile salmon, a panel of scientists is suggesting that decision
makers utilize spill methods which use less of the precious liquid.

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4. NMFS BIOP ASKS FOR MCNARY FISH TRANSPORT

/in

The National Marine Fisheries Service is completing a biological opinion
that would allow collection and transportation of juvenile salmon smolts
at McNary Dam. Although federal executives have not made a decision to
begin barging at the dam, NMFS said that having the BiOp in hand gives
them the flexibility to begin when the decision is made.

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6. SPRING CHINOOK RETURN KEEPS COUNTERS BUSY

/in , ,

A 2001 Columbia Basin upriver spring chinook salmon run expected to set
a modern day record is, indeed, passing Bonneville Dam counters at an
unprecedented pace.

"All of the counts so far are much higher than anything in our data
sets," said Mike Matylewich of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish
Commission ...

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4. AGENCIES WITHDRAW LAND MANAGEMENT SUPPLEMENTAL BIOP

/in , ,

An attempt by federal fish management agencies to document good habitat
works in the interior Columbia River Basin has been withdrawn, drawing
fire from some who say the action is another example of the Bush
Administration's studied erosion of environmental protections.

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5. NO CHANGES THIS WEEK FOR HANFORD REACH FLOWS

/in

Federal officials this morning decided to make no changes in this
weekend's operation that tribal officials feared would reduce flows in
the Hanford Reach and destroy hundreds of redds in the Vernita Bar.

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1. SMITH PUSHES FOR PRICE CAPS; ABRAHAM SAYS NO

/in

Despite growing political demand for federal price caps on Western
electricity to alleviate economic and environmental damage, Bush
administration officials this week continued to strongly oppose such
action by federal regulators or Congress.

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham restated the administration's
opposition on Thursday at a Senate committee hearing on proposed
legislation to ease the region's California-spawned energy crisis.

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3. FEDS MEET WITH STATES, TRIBES ON RIVER OPERATIONS

/in ,

The federal executives met today with state and tribal officials to get
their ideas on how the federal hydropower system can be operated with
some sensitivity to endangered and threatened species in a year when
water is scarce and the hydroelectric system has little flexibility.

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1. BPA: NOT ENOUGH WATER FOR POWER, FISH, AND RESERVES

/in ,

The Bonneville Power Administration in two forums this week described a
water supply situation that barely supports the federal power system and
has little if any water left to aid endangered salmon this spring and
summer.

"We are now hitting close to rock bottom," BPA Administrator Steve
Wright told the Northwest Power Planning Council Wednesday ...

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2. COUNCIL RUNS THE NO-SPILL NUMBERS ON FISH IMPACTS

/in ,

Two preliminary Northwest Power Planning Council studies that look at
the power situation and its effects on endangered salmon found that the
cost to the region of spilling water to pass migrating salmon this year
would be high, but the benefits would be low.

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3. BASIN WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK DROPS AGAIN

/in ,

The forecast for how much water is available in the Columbia and Snake
river systems to use for power, endangered species preservation,
recreation, irrigation and navigation -- January through July -- dropped
again this month to 58.6 million acre feet. If trends hold, this year
could have the second worst water supply outlook on record. Only 1977,
which had a water supply of 53.8 maf, was worse.

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6. COUNCIL SEEKS NEW, COORDINATED COLUMBIA MAINSTEM PLAN

/in , ,

Deciding now is as good a time as ever, the Northwest Power Planning
Council decided Wednesday to launch the next phase of its Columbia Basin
fish and wildlife program amendment process with a request for
recommendations on a coordinated mainstem plan.

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2. POWER COUNCIL WANTS MORE SAY IN HYDRO DECISIONS

/in ,

The Northwest Power Planning Council said this week it feels the states
are inappropriately being left on the sidelines while federal agencies
ponder tough choices about the best use -- for power generation and fish
operations -- of a limited water supply.

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3. KITZHABER LOBBIES FOR $500 MILLION INCREASE FOR SALMON

/in , ,

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber's request for a $500 million increase in
federal spending on Columbia Basin and other Northwest salmon recovery
efforts is unrealistic, according to Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore.

But in a meeting in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Kitzhaber, Smith and
the rest of the state's congressional delegation agreed to make salmon
funding a top priority and to work together to obtain as much as
possible, an aide to Smith said.

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4. PARTIES WEIGH FISH SEASON’S SPILL, REFILL, SPRING FLOW

/in ,

A meeting this week to decide short and long-term principles for
operating the Northwest hydroelectric system in a low water year fell
far short of any binding decisions, but went a long ways in helping
parties understand their differences.

The multi-agency Implementation Team and the Technical Management Team
met this week to review the several proposals for operating the hydro
system placed on the table over the past weeks ...

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5. FEDS URGE COUNCIL TO DELAY ACTION ON MAINSTEM PLAN

/in , , ,

Some say push ahead, while others, including the National Marine
Fisheries Service, are urging the Northwest Power Planning Council to
take its time in revising the Columbia-Snake mainstem portion of its
fish and wildlife program.

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1. CORPS DAMS MUST COMPLY WITH CLEAN WATER ACT

/in ,

A federal judge ruled last week that the Army Corps of Engineers has not
considered its obligations under the Clean Water Act at four lower Snake
River dams in any of its decision documents and ordered the agency to
draw up a plan within 60 days outlining how it will bring the dam
operations into compliance with water quality laws.

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6. STATES, TRIBES REACH MULTI-YEAR HARVEST AGREEMENT

/in , , ,

With the largest upriver spring chinook run in recorded history poised
to enter the Columbia River, fishery officials say they have reached an
agreement that is both geared toward rebuilding depleted, wild stocks
and affording increased fishing opportunities on hatchery fish during
such times of abundance.

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6. STATES, TRIBES REACH MULTI-YEAR HARVEST AGREEMENT

/in , , ,

With the largest upriver spring chinook run in recorded history poised
to enter the Columbia River, fishery officials say they have reached an
agreement that is both geared toward rebuilding depleted, wild stocks
and affording increased fishing opportunities on hatchery fish during
such times of abundance.

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8. GROUP STUDIES FLOOD CONTROL CHANGE POSSIBILITIES

/in , ,

Shifting long-established Columbia-Snake river flood control operations
to regimes that are more fish friendly is easier said than done,
according to the federal hydrosystem's managers.

Any proposed changes to flows and reservoir flood control capacity could
face resistance in the region and in Congress if the overall level of
protection for floodplain development downstream, and in the Portland
area in particular, is reduced.

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