Hydropower Reform Coalition - Oregon

Interior Report Confirms Klamath Dam Removal Can Benefit People and Ecosystem

Rupak Thapaliya — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:43:02 -0500

Project: Klamath : P-2082

A report released by the Department of Interior this week confirms that the benefits of removal of four Klamath River dams far outweigh the costs.

A summary of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) states that the removal will increase production of Chinook salmon by 81% and open 420 miles of habitat for Steelhead and 68 miles for Coho salmon. The report also found that dam removal would cost $291 million (in 2020 dollars) as opposed to the previous estimates of $450 million.

According to the report, dam removal is expected to create 1,400 jobs during the year of removal and another 4600 over the next 15 years during the implementation of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA), one of the two agreements that also paved way for the study. The removal is expected to cause a loss of 67 jobs.

If the dams were removed, water quality could be hugely improved by eliminating the reservoir’s toxic algal bloom and by restoring more natural river flows.

The dams currently generate enough electricity to power roughly 70,000 homes, although if the dams are retained, the additional costs from construction of required fish passage facilities, which could be substantial, will likely be passed on to ratepayers.

The Secretary will make a final decision on the fate of the dams in March 2012. Even if the dams were to be removed, actual removal will not happen until 2020.

Several members of the conservation community, including members of the Coalition have been advocating removal of the dams to restore the Klamath River basin. This report is an affirmation of the science-backed position Coalition members have taken for a long time.

Read Department of Interior’s press release and the full report.

More Hydropower Projects Seek LIHI Certification

Rupak Thapaliya — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:46:20 -0600

Project: Merwin : P-935 | Bear River : P-20 | Cutler Plant : P-2420

The last day of 2009 saw seven hydropower projects filing their application for certification with the Low Impact Hydropower Institute. In 2009 alone, the Institute issued certifications for nine projects throughout the country. So far, there are 46 LIHI certified projects in 24 states.

Of the seven newest projects seeking LIHI certification, five are owned by PacifiCorp. The seven projects are:

PacifiCorp’s Lewis River Projects (P-935, P-2071, and P-2111) in Washington
PacifiCorp’s Bear River Project (P-20) in Idaho
PacifiCorp’s Cutler Project (P-2420) in Utah
PacifiCorp’s Prospect No. 3 Project (P-2337) in Oregon
PacifiCorp’s Ashton Project (P-2381) in Idaho
TransCanada Hydro’s Deerfield River Project (P-2323) in Vermont and Massachusetts, and
Brookfield’s Fife Brook Project (P-2323) in Vermont and Massachusetts

LIHI is seeking public comments by March 3, 2010. More information on each of the projects and instructions on how to submit comments are available at www.lowimpacthydro.org.

LIHI provides certification to projects based on eight key areas:

river flows,
water quality,
fish passage and protection,
watershed protection,
threatened and endangered species protection,
cultural resource protection,
recreation, and
facilities recommended for removal.

According to LIHI, Certification is designed to provide consumers with assurance that a facility has avoided or reduced their environmental impacts.

Three More Hydroelectric Projects Qualify as Low Impact

Rupak Thapaliya — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:34:06 -0600

Project: Chace Mill : P-2756

The Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI) has certified three more projects that meet their low-impact certification criteria. The three projects are Winooski in Vermont, Farmers Irrigation District in Oregon; and the Robertson and Ashuelot in New Hampshire.

Through the certification, LIHI recognizes that these projects have avoided or reduced their environmental impacts as required in their certification process.

For more information about the recently certified projects read the LIHI press release.

LIHI issues certification for projects that meet or exceed the Institute's certification criteria which address eight key areas:

river flows
water quality
fish passage and protection
watershed protection
threatened and endangered species protection
cultural resource protection
recreation, and
facilities recommended for removal.

LIHI has certified 46 projects to date.

Agreement Paves Way For a Healthy Klamath River

Rupak Thapaliya — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:29:08 -0500

A draft agreement, known as the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) that may lead to the removal of four Klamath River dams, was released earlier this week.

The Hydroelectric Agreement also includes provisions for the interim operation of the dams and the process to transfer, decommission, and remove the dams.

According to the Department of Interior, the Agreement lays out the process for additional studies, environmental review, and a decision by the Secretary of the Interior regarding whether:

removal of the lower four dams on the Klamath River that are owned by PacifiCorp will advance restoration of the salmonid fisheries of the Klamath Basin, and
is in the public interest, which includes but is not limited to consideration of potential impacts on affected local communities and Tribes.

The agreement which is yet to be signed by the parties will be available for public review. Read the summary or the entire draft of the proposed Agreement.

Coalition members American Rivers, California Trout, Friends of the River, Natural Heritage Institute and Trout Unlimited have long been involved in the negotiations. Other parties include the federal government, the state governments of California and Oregon, tribes, counties, fishermen, and irrigators.

This agreement accompanies the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) released in January 2008.

Read this FAQ by American Rivers on the KHSA and the New York Times article on the agreement.

EA Released for Carmen-Smith Project on the McKenzie river

Rupak Thapaliya — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:42:05 -0500

Project: Carmen-Smith : P-2242

FERC has released an Environmental Assessment for the Carmen-Smith project (P-2242) located on the McKenzie river in Lane and Linn counties in Oregon.

Among other things, the EA has recommended construction of fish passage facilities at the Trail Bridge dam. The EA notes that although the construction of these facilities would result in environmental costs,

…these environmental measures would be worth the cost because they would benefit various fish species and aid in the recovery of threatened Upper Willamette River Chinook salmon and bull trout.

A Settlement Agreement was signed last year among Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB), the applicant and 16 other parties, including members of the Hydropower Reform Coalition. The Carmen-Smith Project is operated as a peaking and load-following facility, using water stored in the Carmen diversion, Smith, and Trail Bridge reservoirs.

Public comments on the EA are due by October 19.

New Reports Support Removal of Klamath Dams

Rupak Thapaliya — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:20:30 -0600

Project: Klamath : P-2082

Three new reports show that removing the four dams on Klamath River will benefit the health of the river and salmon in the long run.

A joint press release issued by American Rivers and the Karuk Tribe, states that the removal of the dams will have relatively minor negative effects in the short-run, will not require sediment removal, but will be beneficial to salmon and water quality without incurring any increased flood risk to downstream residents.

According to the press release, removal would result in elimination of toxic blue green algae and subsequent increase in oxygen levels which would greatly increase the habitat conditions for salmon. At the same time, it is expected that the impacts to fall Chinook will be short-term, and the population would fully recover to pre-removal levels within five years.

(Right: Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River is the first dam blocking over 350 miles of spawning habitat)

In November 2008, PacifiCorp reached agreement in principle to remove the four Klamath dams in 2020 and pay up to $200 million in removal and restoration costs.

If removed, this would be the biggest dam removal effort in the world.

To read the reports, visit American Rivers' Klamath River page.

Benefit Dinner to Un-dam Klamath

Rupak Thapaliya — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:08:31 -0600

Project: Klamath : P-2082

A benefit dinner is being organized to remove dams from the Klamath River that have been disturbing the habitat for salmon, trout and other species for a long time. The Klamath hydroproject owned by Pacificorp includes four dams that are not only disturbing fish migration and spawning but also polluting the river with toxic algae.

Local fishermen, tribes and environmental groups have long opposed the dams. Even the California Energy Commission calls it the "most environmentally damaging energy project in CA." A recent analysis by FERC concluded that dam removal would be cheaper by $7 million a year, thus saving money for the owner, state and tax payers.

A short video developed by American Rivers, with funding from Hydropower Reform Coalition, explains the need to remove the dams for restoration of Klamath River.

The $5-$15 dinner will include live music, a multimedia presentation, and silent auction. See the Klamath Riverkeeper's event page for more details on the event.

FERC rejects application for hydropower on McKenzie River

Rupak Thapaliya — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:59:14 -0600

Citing deficiencies in a number of aspects, FERC has rejected the application (Project No. 13099-000) from Principal Power for hydropower production on Oregon's McKenzie River.

In a letter issued on Feb 13, FERC rejected the application that included insufficient details on important issues such as construction activities, reservoirs, and transmission lines. The application, filed on Jan 15, had also failed to provide a detailed workplan or a map showing project locations. Commission regulations require an applicant to submit a complete description of each project including characteristics of the dams and reservoirs, size of penstocks, description of powerhouse and transmission lines, in addition to a detailed map of project locations and boundaries. The applicant had mentioned that the project would consist of eight or nine non-dam developments for a combined power output of 83MW but no details were provided. All in all, the application was very negligent.

McKenzie River has long been an attractive site for whitewater recreation, sport fishing, hiking, driftboating, and other recreational activities.

The proposed projects were located downstream of the existing Carmen-Smith hydroelectric project and just below the Wild and Scenic section of the McKenzie. The owner of the Carmen-Smith project has been working with agencies, nonprofits, paddlers, anglers and others to reach a settlement agreement for new license terms. One of the largest hurdles in this settlement is agreement on how to mitigate for salmon migration, and these new projects would have defeated any fishery improvements in this settlement long before it could even be signed.

The new projects also raised questions regarding what is clean energy, and what are acceptable impacts for this river. While no dams were proposed, Principal Power was looking to build up to nine weirs. While they proposed no reservoirs, they did propose up to nine head ponds, as well as roads, transmission lines, penstocks and tunnels along a 34 mile section of the river. Just like dams, diversion weirs produce electricity by diverting water out of the river, which affects boating, the fishery, and the millions of dollars and man-hours spend so far on returning salmon to the upstream sections of the McKenzie.

You can read an article from Oregon's Register-Guard here.

American Rivers & NOAA now accepting proposals for river restoration grants

John Seebach — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:48:12 -0500

American Rivers seeks proposals for river restoration project grants as part of its partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Community-based Restoration Program. Program funding is provided through NOAA’s Open Rivers Initiative, which seeks to enable environmental and economic renewal in local communities through the removal of stream barriers.

This Partnership funds stream barrier removal projects that help restore riverine ecosystems, enhance public safety and community resilience, and have clear and identifiable benefits to diadromous fish populations. Diadromous fish migrate between freshwater and saltwater during their life cycle. Examples include alewife, American eel, American shad, blueback herring, salmon, steelhead, shortnose sturgeon and striped bass. Projects in the Northeast (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI), Mid-Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA, DE, VA, MD, DC), Northwest (WA, OR, ID), and California are eligible to apply. Projects located within the St. Lawrence/Great Lakes Basin are not eligible for funding in the December 2007 grant round.

Eligible applications will be evaluated based upon four priority criteria:

Ecological merits of the project,
Technical feasibility of the project,
Benefits provided to the local community, and
Financial clarity and strength of the application.

Grants are provided for three distinct project phases: Feasibility Analysis, Engineering Design and Construction. Average grants are $25,000 - $50,000. Successful applicants for one project phase will not be eligible to receive additional funding for that same project phase in future grant rounds. See the Funding Guidelines for additional details.

Applications are currently being accepted for the first cycle of fiscal year 2008 with a deadline of December 3, 2007. Applications for projects must be postmarked by the deadline for consideration in this funding cycle. Potential applicants should contact American Rivers to discuss potential projects prior to submitting an application. Applicants can expect notification about funding decisions in early March 2008.

Obtain the Application for Financial Assistance and Funding Guidelines on the American Rivers web site.

Marmot Dam becomes the largest dam removed in Oregon

Rebecca Sherman — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 17:51:52 -0500

Project: Bull Run : P-477

On July 24, 2007, the CEO of Portland General Electric Peggy Fowler depressed the handle of an old-fashioned TNT box at the same time that a construction crew detonated explosives within Marmot Dam. The blast weakened the dam so that the crew could continue its demolition.

You can see photos of the Marmot Dam removal here.

On hand to celebrate was a crowd of officials, dam removal settlement signatories, and Sandy River aficionados. PGE agreed to remove Marmot Dam and another dam on the Little Sandy River, grant 1500 acres of watershed lands to a lands conservancy, and donate its water rights instream. As a result, salmon and steelhead will have unimpeded access to 95 miles of upstream Sandy River habitat.

The settlement agreement was the outgrowth of a license renewal for PGE's Bull Run project. The company determined that the cost of continued operation under a modern permit (its existing license was decades old) would make the project uneconomic to run.

PGE has set up a website with the history of the dam's life and plans for removal.

The Sunday after the removal, the Oregonian published the following statement in its July 29th editorial:

Over the history of the Northwest, rivers tamed by dams have been like zoo animals. It's been hard to imagine them ever running wild again.

That's why the blast Tuesday that marked the start of the removal of Marmot Dam on the Sandy River sent shock waves all across the region. After a century of being held back, a Northwest river is about to runfree again.

The Oregonian made the point that dams aren't "going to start falling like dominoes," but that dam removals in the region are an important lesson in balancing resources and power production, and a brave step worth repeating. Great job, Oregonian.

Wall Street Journal: Dam the Salmon

Rebecca Sherman — Thu, 31 May 2007 12:38:17 -0500

The Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com) published an opinion-editorial called "Dam the Salmon" from a Reason.com analyst. The analyst, describing conservationists as "greens," begins:

If their opposition to the Klamath hydroelectric dams in the Pacific Northwest is any indication, the greens, it appears, are just as unwilling to sacrifice their pet causes as a Texas rancher is to sacrifice his pickup truck. If anything, the radicalization of the environmental movement is the bigger obstacle to addressing global warming than the allegedly gluttonous American way of life.

The American way of life is allegedly excessive? Conservation is the problem behind global warming? Fascinating. The reply from American Rivers, available on their blog, and published by the WSJ reads:

Are the readers of the Wall Street Journal supposed to be horrified when an outmoded 100 year-old factory closes its doors? Of course not.

But that’s exactly the sort of irrational economic logic Ms. Dalmia proposes should protect all hydro dams into the infinite future.

Another letter from Friends of the River, also published, says:

[S]he neglects to mention at any point that a staggering 95% of the Klamath's native salmon population has been destroyed. Stepping in to protect the remaining 5% of a critical species is hardly a "radical" environmental position.

[She also] alleges that environmentalists have "rejected all attempts by PacifiCorp... to take mitigation steps... to create a salmon pathway." This is not true. PacifiCorp only considered mitigation because it was required to and its only genuine proposal was to catch migrating salmon, load them into trucks and drive them upstream -- a plan best characterized as absurd.

The WSJ published a third letter to the editor from a California resident, Scott Christensen, who points out that "there is nothing "cheap and renewable" about energy production that results in the destruction of wild salmon and steelhead runs and the jobs that depend on them."

Removal of Sandy River hydropower dams set to begin in summer 2006

Rebecca Sherman — Wed, 30 May 2007 13:24:03 -0500

Project: Bull Run : P-477

A final tour of the Bull Run Hydroelectric Project on the Sandy River in Oregon sparked a series of Memorial Day weekend news articles.

Oregon Public Broadcasting ran a feature highlighting Portland General Electric's (PGE) decision to remove three dams on the Sandy and Little Sandy rivers rather than relicense the aging facilities.

OPB News
PGE Prepares To Remove Two Dams On The Sandy River
By Colin Fogarty

PORTLAND, OR (2007-05-23) For nearly a century, Portland General Electric has gotten some of its power from the Sandy River basin.

Now, the company is preparing to vacate the Sandy and Little Sandy Rivers and turn much of the land over for conservation.

Eight years ago, PGE decided it would be more expensive to repair and keep up the Marmot and Little Sandy Dams than to just tear them out. Colin Fogarty was among several reporters who went on the last tour of the dams before removal begins this summer.

Read or listen to the full OPB article, with slideshow >>

The Oregonian also ran a full feature on the decision >>

From the May 30th Gresham Outlook feature:

Technology has changed a lot since 1906, when construction of the first components of the Bull Run Hydroelectric Project began.

Despite the advancements, when work begins this summer to dismantle the project – including the Marmot Dam on the Sandy River, the Little Sandy Dam on the Little Sandy River, a 22-megawatt powerhouse on Bull Run River, a 15,000-foot wooden-box flume, canals and tunnels between the Marmot and Little Sandy dams and the draining of Roslyn Lake – Portland General Electric will turn the clock back 100 years.

Coalition seeks Northwest Coordinator

Rebecca Sherman — Tue, 22 May 2007 18:54:52 -0500

The Hydropower Reform Coalition is seeking a new Northwest Coordinator to manage its Northwest operations.

If you are interested in the position, please review the attached job announcement. The deadline for applications is Sunday, June 17th.

Attachment	Size
NW HRC position description.pdf	192.12 KB

Oregon Renewable Energy Standards: Failed Opportunity on Hydropower

Rebecca Sherman — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 23:00:00 -0600

The Oregon Renewable Energy Standard (RES) requires utilities to supply 25% of their load with renewable power by 2025, and new dams can qualify toward that goal.

The bill, S 838, passed the Senate for the second time on May 25, 2007, and will be signed by Governor Kulongoski on June 6th.

- The hydropower provision as of April 11, 2007(not materially changed)

- Our proposed amendment and talking points

Relevant maps:

- Map of Oregon streams not listed under the NWPCC's "Protected Areas"

- NW Power and Conservation Council's regional map of Protected Areas

- Map of Potential Hydropower Development in Oregon

Attachment	Size
4_18_07 WaterWatch RES testimony Tues 6 pm.doc	31.5 KB
House_Testimony_S838_April 18 2007.doc	80.5 KB
Oregon_unprotected_rivers.pdf	1.83 MB
Amendment Factsheet_0407.doc	99.5 KB
INEL Hydropower Prospector Oregon.pdf	1.74 MB
State Protected Areas.JPG	114.77 KB
07REStestimonyfinal.doc	32.5 KB
Hydro Provision_Sen Committee.pdf	225.73 KB
SB 838-16.pdf	1.9 MB

Clackamas River's Final Environmental Impact Statement Released

Rebecca Sherman — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 16:37:50 -0600

Project: North Fork : P-2195 | Willamette Falls : P-2233

On December 21, 2006, FERC released the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the five-dam Clackamas River Project only miles east of Portland, Oregon. While the final is an improvement over the draft, Clackamas River settlement parties say that there are still many problems with FERC's treatment of measures from the settlement agreement.

The FEIS fails to adequately address lamprey issues. FERC rejected measures on the Clackamas that it accepted in the Willamette Falls license. Arguably, FERC will utlimately have to include these measures if the Fish and Wildlife Services uses its FPA Section 18 mandatory conditing authority.

FERC struck provisions that would provide funding to third parties, citing that the obligation should be on the licensee. It also struck provisions that called for a backup fund if a particular measure did not work. FERC rejected the measures as undefined and possibly unnecessary. Whether or not they are sensible, these actions are consistent with the Settlement Policy Statement.

As an improvement to the DEIS, FERC incorporated the entire comprehensive fish passage program, which included adaptive management. FERC also recommended the Habitat Fund.

Finally, FERC revised its DEIS rationale for eliminating certain measures ("too much mitigation") and instead adopted more thoughtful language from the Settlement Policy Statement.

The Clackamas Settlement Agreement was signed in March 2006 by 33 parties. The Project is owned by Portland General Electric.

Preliminary Permit application filed for Newport Wave Park Project

John Seebach — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:44:45 -0600

Oregon Wave Energy Partners, LLC has filed a preliminary permit application for a proposed wave energy project that would be located 3-6 miles offshore in Lincoln County, Oregon. Comments and motions to intervene are due to FERC by February 18, 2007.

According to FERC, the proposed project (P-12750):

"[W]ould consist of: (1) 200 to 400 Power Buoys having a total installed capacity of 100 megawatts, (2) a proposed 13.8 kilovolt transmission line, and (3) appurtenant facilities. The project is estimated to have an annual generation of 306.6 gigawatt-hours per-unit per-year, which would be sold to a local utility."

Preliminary Permit application filed for Coos Bay Wave Park Project

John Seebach — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:38:33 -0600

Oregon Wave Energy Partners, LLC has filed a preliminary permit application for a proposed wave energy project that would be located 2.5 miles offshore in Coos County, Oregon. Comments and motions to intervene are due to FERC by February 18, 2007.

According to FERC, the project (FERC P-12749):

"[W]ould consist of: (1) 200 to 400 Power Buoys having a total installed capacity of 100 megawatts, (2) a proposed 13.8 kilovolt transmission line; and (3) appurtenant facilities. The project is estimated to have an annual generation of 306.6 gigawatt-hours per-unit per-year, which would be sold to a local utility."

License application filed on McKenzie River

John Seebach — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 10:25:34 -0600

Project: Carmen-Smith : P-2242

Eugene Water and Electric Board has submitted its license application for the Carmen-Smith project on Oregon's McKenzie River. The deadline for additional study requests is January 23, 2007. For more details, see the FERC notice.

Preliminary Permit application for Oregon wave energy project

John Seebach — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 11:10:27 -0600

AquaEnergy Group Ltd. Filed a preliminary permit application for the proposed "Coos County Offshore Wave Energy Project," which would be located about 2-4 miles offshore southwest of Bandon, Oregon. FERC has issued formal notice, with a deadline for comments, protests, and interventions set for January 1, 2007.

The permit application reserves a 23.3 square-mile site for study, although it claims that the final installed project area would be only 2-4 square miles. Here's FERC's description of the proposed project:

The proposed project would consist of: (1) 200-300 wave energy conversion buoys with a generating capacity of 200 kilowatts to 1 megawatt each consisting of; (2) integrated generators; (3) anchoring devices; and (4) interconnection transmission lines. The anticipated annual generation of the project will be approximately 175 gigawatt-hours.

FERC staff get earful from public on Klamath project

John Seebach — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 13:01:07 -0600

Project: Klamath : P-2082

Responding to public demand (and, in several cases, to direct requests from members of Congress), FERC staff held a series of meetings so that the public could raise concerns the Klamath project. The message they heard was loud and clear: restore the Klamath River and its fish.

As of this writing, there are two scheduled public meetings remaining before the December 1, 2006 deadline for comments on FERC's draft EIS.

Interested members of the public are encouraged to attend these meetings. FERC also held several earlier meetings:

Klamath Falls, OR: November 14 (morning)
Yreka, CA: November 15 (morning and evening)
Eureka, CA: November 16 (evening)

All of these meetings appear to have drawn a large, diverse audience; the meeting in Eureka apparently drew more than 500, with a local paper (the Times-Standard) reporting that others were being turned away. From the Times-Standard article:

[S]peaker after speaker demand[ed that] the agency consider removing the dams instead of letting them continue to operate. [...] Repeatedly FERC staff was admonished for not analyzing removal of the four dams, and were called on to heed a recent California Coastal Conservancy study that holds that decommissioning the structures is not nearly as expensive as building fish ladders. They were also told that the federal document fails to address the cultural costs off the dams to American Indian tribes like the Yurok, Hoopa and Karuk, or economic costs to fishermen.

This article in the North Coast Journal captures a particularly interesting moment from the Eureka hearing where one man stood up, introduced himself as a rancher and farmer, and led with some negative comments about environmentalists. But the real story is what he said next:

"We want FERC to know that we don't need these dams for our irrigation, or flood control, and that we are getting no benefit from the meager electrical output. We want FERC to know that the Klamath dams have not only lived out their usefulness as electric generators, they might have also lived out the life blood of the river: the salmon. If that happens and the salmon die, also dies the life blood to the soul of the Klamath's native peoples. That cannot be allowed to happen. We want to tell FERC that we will see to it that our neighbors are not stomped on, broken or bankrupted as we make sure these dams are decommissioned."

We're glad that FERC is taking the time to hold these meetings. We can only hope that they will listen carefully to what the public has to say.

There's more information in these articles and press releases:

Yurok Tribe Press Release (11/14/2006)
The Times-Standard (11/15/2006)
The Associated Press (11/15/2006)
The World (OR) (11/30/06)

Klamath River DEIS released

Rebecca Sherman — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 13:52:02 -0500

Project: Klamath : P-2082

On September 25, 2006, FERC released a draft environmental impact statement for the Klamath River Project. FERC's draft does not analyze removing the lower four dams, as many stakeholders have called for in the licensing process. The statement does acknowledge removal of two dams, but does not call for removal in its preferred alternative.

Below is a statement from several Coalition members on a preliminary review of the DEIS:

NEWS: FERC's Klamath Draft EIS Falls Short

September 25, 2006

Contact:

Steve Rothert, American Rivers, 530-277-0448

Curtis Knight, California Trout, 530-859-1872

Glen Spain, PCFFA, 541-521-8655

Chuck Bonham, Trout Unlimited, 510-917-8572

Jim McCarthy, Oregon Natural Resources Council, 541-201-1058

Kelly Catlett, Friends of the River, 916-442-3155 x223

Washington, D.C. -- The proposed license provisions for PacifiCorp’s Klamath hydro project contained in FERC’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement released today fall far short of what agencies, tribes and conservation groups believe is necessary to restore the Klamath River.

“PacifiCorp and its predecessors have received cheap power for over 90 years at the expense of the river and the people who depend on it. FERC’s proposal extends PacifiCorp’s sweetheart deal and would result in 50 more years of conflict over PacifiCorp’s dams,” said Steve Rothert of American Rivers.

“Throughout, FERC unduly defers to PacifiCorp’s wishes and recommends measures that will do little to mitigate the impacts of the dams or restore damaged west coast salmon fisheries,” said Glen Spain, of Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA). “Today most of that salmon fishery is closed down, in large part because of these dams. There is no stronger case for decommissioning dams than in the Klamath.”

The five dam complex blocks salmon from reaching 350 miles of historic river habitat above the dams. The National Marine Fisheries Service’s preliminary prescriptions would require PacifiCorp to provide fish ladders, screens and other measures at all project dams. However, FERC, in clear contradiction of federal law, reduced the agency’s comprehensive passage plan down to possibly reintroducing fish to only a single river reach after a trial period.

“Klamath salmon are in real danger; they need real solutions. FERC’s paltry fish passage recommendation is both legally insupportable and biologically ineffective,” said Steve Rothert of American Rivers.

The PacifiCorp dams produce only 2 percent of PacifiCorp’s electricity, but severely damage water quality and have become reservoirs for toxic algae and fish diseases, killing many juvenile salmon before they can migrate out to sea. Salmon survival rates in the Klamath River in recent years have been so poor that fewer adult salmon have returned this year than can support a fishery. This has triggered widespread coastal fishing closures over 700 miles of coastline, and on August 10th, Secretary of Commerce Gutierrez declared a “fishery failure” disaster in California and Oregon because of the Klamath declines.

In the summer, the dams reduce flows by as much as 90 percent along more than 20 river miles below their dams. Resource agencies required PacifiCorp to limit its diversions to only 60 percent of the river flow. However, FERC slashed the agencies’ requirement by 75 percent, requiring PacifiCorp to increase flows by only 100 cfs in dewatered reaches. “Once again, FERC is throwing sound science to the wind by ignoring overwhelming evidence from agency, tribal and NGO experts that indicates the river needs more water,” said Curtis Knight of California Trout.

FERC analyzed the possibility of removing Iron Gate Dam and Copco 1 Dam and concluded the removal of one or more dam would have a “substantial” benefit on water quality and would enhance the prospects of restoring anadromous fish populations. As for cost, if FERC had not reduced the agency salmon reintroduction prescription to a small trial effort, the cost of dam removal would be greater than keeping the dams and installing fish passage facilities. For example, FERC estimated the annual cost of removing Iron Gate and Copco 1 at approximately $14.4 million, including power losses. The annual cost of installing fish ladders, screens and other passage measures as required by fishery agencies is estimated to be $16.6 million - $2.2 million more expensive than dam removal. “If FERC stayed within its authority and left the agency prescription intact, it would have identified dam removal as the cheaper option,” said Kelly Catlett of Friends of the River.

"PacifiCorp's dams have blocked Klamath salmon from returning to Oregon for nearly 100 years, but we will continue to fight to remove the dams and bring the salmon home," said Jim McCarthy, Klamath Basin Wildlife Advocate.

In a related proceeding, Klamath relicensing stakeholders await the results of a hearing on the recommended terms and conditions issued by the resource agencies. In a new proceeding created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, PacifiCorp requested the hearing held in August to challenge the scientific underpinnings of the agency provisions. The Coast Guard Administrative Law Judge’s ruling, which is expected by the end of September, could affect the what license terms FERC ultimately includes in PacifiCorp’s license.

More press for river restoration on the Klamath

John Seebach — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 16:02:01 -0500

Project: Klamath : P-2082

The Eugene, OR Register Guard just published an editorial that does a good job of connecting the dots between the damage caused by PacifiCorp's Klamath river project and the West Coast's devastated salmon fishing industry. The editors see dam removal as part of the solution:

In another potentially major breakthrough, PacifiCorp, the Portland-based utility that owns the four Klamath dams, recently issued a statement that it's open to the removal of its Klamath dams. With PacifiCorp in the midst of an arduous relicensing process that could result in the company being ordered to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on fish-passage retrofitting, the prospects for removal of the dams have never been brighter.

The entire editorial is worth a read. It puts the damage caused by the hydropower project into greater perspective, showing how a highly-stressed river system has put an entire industry in danger of extinction:

[Congress and the White House] must also make the major investment necessary to fix the real cause of the salmon crisis: a Klamath River that once supported the third-largest salmon runs on the West Coast but has become one of the nation's most fouled-up waterways.
[...]

The Klamath's woes are many and complex. Its salmon are being killed by excessive water diversions from the federal irrigation project that provides water to the basin's farmers, by hydroelectric dams that block migrating salmon and turn the river into an unnaturally warm petri dish for fish-killing algae and bacteria, by unsound logging practices that contribute to erosion, by agricultural runoff, and by the loss of critical wetlands habitat.

Federal disaster aid is essential for fishermen who are at risk of losing their boats and livelihoods - and for the businesses and coastal communities that rely on healthy fisheries for survival. But what they ultimately need is a river that produces bumper crops of healthy salmon.

[...]

The Klamath can be saved. All it takes it the political will - and vision - to do it.

Hells Canyon DEIS Issued

Rebecca Sherman — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 23:00:00 -0500

Project: Hells Canyon : P-1971

On July 28, 2006, FERC published a draft environmental impact statement for the licensing of the Hells Canyon Complex. The 1000+ MW project blocks all migration for endangered Snake River salmon and steelhead. FERC does not recommend any additional passage into tributaries or the mainstem Snake River for the next 30-50 year license.

Media advisory

September 1, 2006

Last chance for public to weigh in on Hells Canyon dam operations

Major improvements needed to restore clean water, fish passage, beaches to Snake River

Contact:

Kevin Lewis, Idaho Rivers United, 208-343-7481

Brett Swift, American Rivers, 503-827-8648

Rebecca Sherman, Hydropower Reform Coalition, 503-827-8653

BOISE -- Members of the public will have a final opportunity at five upcoming hearings to influence what kind of environmental improvements will be included in the new license for Idaho Power Company's Hells Canyon dams.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is holding the meetings to gather public comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement it prepared as part of the relicensing process for the 3-dam complex on the Snake River, on the Oregon-Idaho border.

For roughly 50 years, the dams in Hells Canyon have damaged the Snake River, its fish, and recreation opportunities. The dams completely block salmon and steelhead from historic habitat, and dam operations have altered the river's flow, eroded beaches, and degraded water quality.

American Rivers and Idaho Rivers United are calling on FERC to require stronger measures than the actions described in the draft Environmental Impact Statement, to make Idaho Power meet its basic responsibilities to the river and communities by fixing the damage its dams have caused.

Specifically, the groups are urging FERC to:

Require fish passage: FERC should immediately require fish passage for spring chinook and steelhead into tributaries within Hells Canyon, and require fall chinook passage once water quality is sufficiently restored.

Restore clean water: Pollution is concentrated in the pools behind the Hells Canyon dams, contributing to mercury contamination in fish and creating a health hazard. FERC should require Idaho Power to meet all state and federal water quality standards in the area impacted by the dams.

Improve flows: Right now, Idaho Power can quickly and drastically change river levels, which is very damaging to the ecosystem. FERC should make Idaho Power stop this harmful practice, implement tighter ramping rate restrictions, and release water from the dams in a way that benefits salmon and steelhead.

Restore beaches: On an annual basis, the dams hold back 220,000 to 384,000 tons of sand and gravel. FERC must require Idaho Power to replenish both gravel and sand so that beaches for river recreation can be restored.

Assess economic benefits: FERC failed to adequately assess the substantial economic benefits of a restored river. FERC must calculate the regional economic benefits of restored salmon runs, cleaner water and restored beaches to the recreation and fishing industries, and to communities.

Locations of public hearings (all times are local):

BOISE, ID, Sept. 7: from 7 to 11 p.m. (MST) at the Doubletree Hotel Boise Riverside, 2900 Chinden Blvd
BOISE, ID, Sept. 8: from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel Boise Riverside, 2900 Chinden Blvd
HALFWAY, OR, Sept. 11: from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lions Hall, Center St.
WEISER, ID, Sept. 12: from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Weiser Senior Center,115 E. Main St.
LEWISTON, ID, Sept 13: from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lewiston Community Center, 1424 Main Street

Copies of draft EIS available

Visit FERC's web site at http://www.ferc.gov. Follow the e-Library link and enter the docket number, P-1971, in the e-Library docket number field.

For assistance, e-mail FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll-free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659.

Federal Court Rules More Water for the Klamath River

John Seebach — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 06:00:00 -0600

Project: Klamath : P-2082

For Immediate Release: March 27, 2006

Contacts:
Kristen Boyles, Earthjustice: 206.343.7340 x33
Glen Spain, PCFFA: 541-521-8655
Tim McKay, NEC: 707-822-6918

San Francisco, CA - On the eve of a potential salmon fishing closure that would devastate coastal communities and fishing families in California and Oregon, a federal court today ruled that the Bush administration can not continue to strangle water flows in the Klamath River in years with average or below rainfall. The court sided with fishing and conservation groups that have been seeking a more balanced distribution of water needed to rebuild Klamath River salmon stocks. The court ordered the federal Bureau of Reclamation to provide river flows needed for coho salmon now, instead of waiting for five more years to pass.

"This order will help prevent the kinds of closures we're seeing this year and last year and help make the Klamath River a healthier place for salmon," said Glen Spain of PCFFA. " After years of uncertainty, we finally know what needs to be done for water for fish, and farmers and fishermen can plan accordingly." PCFFA is the west coast's largest organization of commercial fishing families.

The court's order, which sets a floor for in-river flows, comes during a high water period on the Klamath. "We stand ready to make any changes as smooth as possible for all our communities," continued Spain.

Salmon advocates have been pointing to the plan's inadequacies since it was released in May 2002. Indeed, as soon as it was implemented and water diversions to upstream farmers began, juvenile salmon died in the river. A severe shortage of adult Klamath River salmon this year is traced directly to the effects of diverting Klamath water to irrigators. This shortage resulted in commercial salmon fishermen losing about 50 percent of their normal fishing season in 2005. In 2003, the court struck down the long-term portion of the plan but ordered no change to current operations.

Because Klamath River coho are protected as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, the National Marine Fisheries Service must approve any irrigation plan devised by the Bureau of Reclamation that relies on taking water from the Klamath River. In May 2002, the Fisheries Service held that the Bureau's plan would jeopardize the continued survival of the Klamath River coho, but failed to require adequate measures to protect the salmon.

Five months after the plan was adopted, in the fall of 2002, low flows caused by unbalanced irrigation deliveries killed as many as 70,000 adult salmon. However months earlier, during the spring of 2002, juvenile salmon died in the river from low water conditions.

"Today a court told the Bush administration to strike a better balance so it doesn't kill all the salmon in the river," said Tim McKay of Northcoast Environmental Center. "This order will help make sure that downstream communities that depend on salmon aren't left high and dry."

"It's time for the federal agencies to stop making excuses and start working to protect salmon in the Klamath River," said Kristen Boyles of Earthjustice. " The Klamath was once the third mightiest salmon-producing river in the continental US, behind only the Columbia and Sacramento. We need to start now to bring it back."

The case was filed by Earthjustice on behalf of PCFFA, Institute for Fisheries Resources, The Wilderness Society, WaterWatch of Oregon, Northcoast Environmental Center, Oregon Natural Resources Council, Defenders of Wildlife, Klamath Forest Alliance, and Headwaters. In the district court, these groups were joined by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Napa) and the Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes; amicus briefs supporting the plaintiffs were filed by the Cities of Arcata and Eureka, Del Norte, Humboldt, and Trinity Counties, and the Humboldt Bay, Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District.For more information on the Klamath Basin and a copy of the opinion, please visit Earthjustice's webite.

NMFS fails to require fish passage for Hells Canyon

John Seebach — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 06:00:00 -0600

Project: Hells Canyon : P-1971

FERC's deadline for all interested parties in the Hells Canyon dams to file their recommendations for terms and conditions in the new license was January 26, 2006. The federal National Marine Fisheries Service - the agency charged with protecting migrating endangered salmon and steelhead - submitted a simple reservation of authority. In other words, the agency did nothing and failed in its responsibility to protect these endangered species.

Other agencies submitted preliminary terms and conditions that required or recommended passage into tributaries or for resident fish, all of which will be revised and resubmitted once FERC has finished its NEPA analysis.

The dams were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s, permanently cutting off all migration to 360 miles of habitat on the Snake River mainstem in addition to key tributaries like the Boise River. Coalition members American Rivers and Idaho Rivers United have been working hard for years to have fish passage and sorely-needed water quality fixes on the next Hells Canyon license.

A quick sketch of recent commitments for three large hydropower projects around the Northwest shows that kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour, the next Hells Canyon license should be worth $574 million. Presently, the company has proposed a package worth $200 million less than the regional average.

To learn more about Hells Canyon, visit Restore Hells Canyon.

Utility features fish improvements through hydro licensing on new website

John Seebach — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 07:00:00 -0500

The Coalition was pleased as punch to see Portland General Electric (PGE) showcase its new commitments to fish recovery - taking the connection between environmental restoration and its hydropower dams and new licenses online.

From PGE's March 8th press release:

Fish and the rivers they live in: PGE Web site tells many stories

Anglers will find trend data and fish counts helpful

Much of Oregon' s story, past and present, is about our waterways and the fish that travel them. Now anglers – as well as hikers, boaters and campers or anyone who enjoys learning about Oregon' s treasures – can find a wealth of information on Portland General Electric' s (PGE' s) Web site.

A visit to www.PortlandGeneral.com/Fish (located in the “Our Community & Environment” section), lets visitors explore the four river basins where PGE generates electricity: Clackamas, Deschutes, Sandy and Willamette. Visitors will discover photos and maps of hydroelectric and fish passage facilities, the history behind them, and get in-depth information about the present-day runs of wild and hatchery salmon, steelhead and other species.

“Anglers will find our new Hydropower and Fish section especially interesting and useful,” said Tim Shibahara, a PGE fish biologist. “Timing a fishing trip is easy. We chart the peak migration dates for salmon and steelhead, when fishing is at its best. Plus, we provide graphs that show run strengths over time. Anglers can even view daily updates of how many fish, and what type, are passing by PGE facilities on both the Clackamas and Willamette rivers.”

How do you tell the difference between a salmon, a steelhead and a kokanee? All the game fish species are profiled, along with photos of both adults and juvenile fish. The Clackamas section includes a short video on how PGE counts and separates wild and hatchery fish. (The hatchery fish receive another trip downstream, so anglers have another chance to catch them.)

The site also presents some fascinating history of the local rivers. History buffs can read or download short books on the history of the Clackamas and the Sandy, commissioned by PGE as part of the relicensing of its hydro plants. One of them has a quote from the famous author Rudyard Kipling, made after spending a day steelhead fishing on the Clackamas in 1889, “I have lived! The American continent may now sink under the sea, for I have taken the best of it.”

The river histories are still being written as PGE makes major changes to its generating facilities that make life easier for threatened salmon and steelhead. The utility' s plans to remove two dams in the Sandy Basin, restore salmon runs above its dams for the first time since 1968, and improve fish survival on the Clackamas and Willamette are detailed with full-color illustrations.

Those interested in camping and picnicking can also find out about the parks and campgrounds PGE maintains, check on amenities such as boat launch and rentals, restrooms and showers and even make camping reservations online.

"While hydroelectric plants are among the cleanest and lowest-cost ways to produce electricity, they also impact the natural habitat of the river. That's why PGE strongly supports fisheries management programs and facilities,” Shibahara said. “We partner with a variety of organizations, finding science-based, innovative solutions to help fish migration and aid in the recovery of threatened species. We also work to protect species living on the land near our projects and provide recreation on the rivers and lakes we help manage.”

A Crooked Application on Oregon's Crooked River

John Seebach — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 07:00:00 -0500

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering adjustments to the upper boundary of a federal Wild and Scenic designation on the Lower Crooked River in central Oregon in order to accommodate hydropower development. The Lower Crooked River has Wild and Scenic River (WSR) status for its outstanding recreational values and towering basalt canyons. The river is dammed just above the Wild and Scenic reach by the Bureau of Reclamation's Arthur Bowman Dam.

The proposal follows a decision in early October, when FERC immediately halted an application to build hydropower facilities within the WSR boundary after BLM and Forest Service staff realized that the facilities would jut into the Wild and Scenic corridor. FERC and the state of Oregon are both prohibited by law from permitting facilities in Wild and Scenic designated rivers. The changes to the boundary of the Wild and Scenic River, however, would allow for the construction and operation of hydropower facilities.

To facilitate the boundary adjustment process, BLM may rely on a 2001 presidential directive to encourage and expedite the development of energy projects. A decision on the process - whether an environmental analysis will be necessary, or whether the public will even be allowed to comment - may come out this winter.

There is an additional concern, above and beyond the adjustment of the boundary, that the application may not stand independently on its merits. Presently, the company seeking to develop hydropower in the WSR corridor is the same company that has four license applications pending before FERC, all of which have been roundly criticized by federal agencies. At one point, the applicant, Symbiotics, and its subsidiaries held over 250 preliminary permits. Two of these permits called for new dams on the Snake River and were denied by FERC and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Late Breaking News! On October 27, FERC issued an order rejecting the license application stating that the application “ patently fails to conform to the requirements of the Commission's regulations.” It is unclear if BLM will still pursue the boundary change for the Wild and Scenic section.

Studies Show PacifiCorp Could Remove Dams Safely, Cheaply

John Seebach — Mon, 19 Jul 2004 23:00:00 -0500

Project: Klamath : P-2082

Contact: Steve Rothert of American Rivers, 530-277-0448
Curtis Knight of California Trout, 530-926-3755
Chuck Bonham of Trout Unlimited, 510-528-4164
Brian Barr of World Wildlife Fund, 541-488-2716

KLAMATH RIVER, Calif., July 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Studies released today by a collection of conservation groups suggest that the option of removing one or more of the five mainstem dams on the Klamath River may be more cost effective and technically viable than previously thought. In line with the 2003 National Academy of Sciences' recommendation to study the removal of Klamath River dams, American Rivers, California Trout, Friends of the River, Trout Unlimited, and World Wildlife Fund (conservation groups) and the Klamath River Inter-Tribal Fish and Water Commission engaged experts to evaluate certain costs and effects of removing four dams, Iron Gate, Copco 1 and 2, and JC Boyle.

PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Scottish Power, owns five dams on the Klamath River that block salmon and steelhead from reaching more than 350 miles of their historic habitat. The four lowest dams generate power but provide no flood control or water supply benefits. They have contributed to a 90 percent decline in salmon populations and add to degraded water quality far downstream of the dams. PacifiCorp is seeking a new 30-50 year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to operate its hydropower project.

"Our goal is the recovery of native fish populations in the Klamath River basin. One cornerstone for reaching this goal is the reintroduction of salmon and steelhead to the 350 miles of habitat blocked by PacifiCorp's dams," said Brian Barr of World Wildlife Fund.

Conservation groups have worked collaboratively for the last four years with PacifiCorp, Native American tribes and other stakeholders to gather information to analyze alternatives for improving fish populations, water quality and other resources impacted by the dams. Although PacifiCorp acknowledges the need to restore salmon, the Company did not propose restoring salmon and steelhead passage in its 7,000-page license application. Several fish passage options have been discussed during the relicensing proceeding, including constructing ladders, hauling fish around the dams in trucks, and removing dams. Unlike the other fish passage options, however, PacifiCorp refuses to study dam removal in detail. The studies released today by conservation groups analyze the cost of deconstructing the dams, the economic value of foregone power generation, and the effects of releasing stored sediments to the lower river.

"The Klamath dams are pretty old and these studies suggest that they may not produce enough juice to pay off the investment that will be necessary to secure a new license," said Steve Rothert with American Rivers. "PacifiCorp has a responsibility to its shareholders and customers to examine this scenario for itself."

"We hope these studies will shed some light on restoration opportunities in the Klamath River and provide a basis for fact- based decisions on these important issues," said Chuck Bonham of Trout Unlimited.

A principal concern of dam removal is the management of sediments built up in the reservoirs. "Our studies show that the Klamath River's flow would quickly carry the sediment to the ocean. In a matter of months after removal, it would be difficult to notice a difference in the lower river," said Steve Rothert of American Rivers. Because information gathered to date suggests it would be possible to allow the river to carry the sediment downstream, the excavation and disposal of reservoir sediment -- a costly aspect of dam removal -- would be eliminated.

"Our engineering study indicates the four lowest dams could be dismantled and safely disposed of for less than $40 million. By contrast, the construction of fish ladders and fish screens at those same four dams could cost up to $150 million," said Curtis Knight of California Trout.

The Klamath River dams supply less than 1 percent of PacifiCorp's customer demand, and the California Energy Commission has concluded that project power could easily be replaced by existing and planned power plants in the area.

The study on foregone power generation estimates the annual value of Klamath hydropower is approximately $21 million currently. PacifiCorp's license application states it would cost $23 million per year to produce power on the Klamath under the Company's proposed plan, which does not include fish passage facilities. NOAA Fisheries has indicated it may require fish ladders to be constructed, which could increase costs to $30 million per year or more. According to PacifiCorp estimates, the cost of replacing its hydro project with wind power would cost less than $27 million per year.

"We do not take the issue of dam removal lightly -- we recognize that people have interests in these dams that must be addressed. We conducted these studies because we believe citizens are entitled to informed choices from decision makers," said Curtis Knight of California Trout.

The FERC is starting an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to analyze the impacts of PacifiCorp's dams. In this Environmental Impact Statement, FERC will study alternatives to PacifiCorp's proposal to leave all dams in the river without providing fish passage for salmon and steelhead. Conservation groups will submit the three commissioned studies to FERC this week to improve the understanding of one of the alternatives already identified by FERC for detailed analysis -- the decommissioning and removal of at least some Klamath River dams and facilities.

Trout Unlimited's Chuck Bonham said, "Even though the backdrop for the relicensing of these dams may be the most contentious river basin in the West, it need not be that way going forward. We stand firm in our belief that the impacts these dams cause to salmon and steelhead are best resolved by bringing the basin's stakeholders together to forge a solution."

Historic Settlement Signed at Pelton Round Butte

John Seebach — Tue, 13 Jul 2004 07:00:00 -0500

Project: Pelton Round Butte : P-2030

A 2004 historic settlement agreement will allow fish to pass three enormous dams on the mainstem Deschutes for the first time in decades.

Co-signed by joint owners Portland General Electric and Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs and 20 other agencies and organizations, the settlement agreement restores flow, water quality and fish habitat through the project area.

Signatories included HRC members American Rivers, WaterWatch of Oregon, Oregon Trout, and Trout Unlimited.

July 13, 2004

For more information please contact:

Mark Fryburg, PGE, 503-464-8444
Bill Rhoades, CTWS, 541-553-2013
Frank Quimby, DOI, 202-208-7291

For additional details and images, visit PGE's Pelton Round Butte website.

Only U.S. hydro project co-owned by utility and Native American tribe

Warm Springs, Ore. — Salmon and steelhead will migrate past a large series of dams for the first time since 1968, under the terms of an historic multiparty agreement to be signed today. Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton is announcing the agreement at a ceremony in Warm Springs, Ore.

The pact is one of the final steps in obtaining a new federal license for Pelton Round Butte, the only hydroelectric project in the United States jointly owned by a Native American tribe and a utility. The 465-million watt project is one-third owned by Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs (CTWS) and the remainder owned by Portland General Electric (PGE). The 20-mile long complex impounds the Deschutes River, a federal Wild and Scenic River and a tributary of the Columbia, about six miles west of Madras, Ore. The three dams, rising to as high as 440 feet, blocked salmon and steelhead migration in the Deschutes, Metolius and Crooked rivers above the project 36 years ago.

A total of 22 organizations and government agencies, including the project owners, endorsed the agreement. The signing takes place at the Museum at Warm Springs on the Warm Springs Reservation.

“The settlement demonstrates how water management and hydroelectric operations can be carried out in innovative ways that protect tribal resources, enhance the environment and aid in the recovery of threatened species,” Secretary Norton said. “With sound science, cutting-edge technology and creative solutions, we can have both healthy rivers and thriving communities.”

Officials praised the agreement for its positive economic and environmental impact. Besides potentially reopening 226 miles of streams above the dams to fish migration, the plan allows for continued production of low-cost hydroelectric power at the facility, improves the Tribes' fish harvest and benefits recreational fishing.

“This agreement sets the bar for other dam operators in the Northwest and across the country. PGE, CTWS and the other settlement parties have proven that by working together, we can achieve great outcomes for this river's health, its salmon and steelhead, and its people,” said Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers.

“For all of the families who enjoy the Deschutes today, and for those future generations who will fish its waters, run its rapids and view its wildlife in the years to come, this agreement is cause for great celebration.”

In the 1990s, the Tribes and PGE began planning for relicensing the project and restoring fish passage became the top priority.

“Many generations will benefit from this agreement,” said CTWS Council Chairman Ron Suppah. “The next 50 years under this new license will create a blueprint for wise natural resources management that is so important to our Indian people and financial resources that are vital to the tribal organization. Adding electric power generation has diversified our economic base and supported programs ranging from public safety to health and education.”

“PGE and the Tribes share the stewardship of one of the West' s most precious resources, the Deschutes River,” said Peggy Fowler, PGE CEO and president. “Our customers depend on us to do the right thing for the environment. They also depend on us for electricity that powers vital aspects of everyday life. We're committed to deliver on both obligations.”

The hydro project, the largest located completely within Oregon' s borders, was completed by PGE in 1964. Although it was constructed with fish passage facilities, the downstream system failed. Under the environmental policies of that era, raising fish in a hatchery was an appropriate way to offset the impact. The fish passage problem was created in large part by the downstream currents in a reservoir taking a wrong turn. Young salmon and steelhead following the currents rarely found their way to the ocean.

The solution will be a 270-foot high underwater tower arising from the bottom of the lake behind Round Butte Dam. A 130-foot wide disc at the top of the tower will draw in most of the surface water, turning the currents and fish back downstream toward the dam. Fish will be screened at the intake and trucked downstream of the dams for release on their journey to the Pacific. The tower will also blend waters from various depths to improve the conditions, including water temperatures, for downstream fish.

Species to be reintroduced above the dams include summer steelhead (a federally listed threatened species) and spring Chinook salmon. Resident kokanee should naturally convert to sockeye salmon as they head downstream.

PGE and the Tribes are prepared to spend more than $135 million dollars on the project during the 50-year term of the license, the vast majority going to fish-related measures. More than $21 million is planned for fish habitat improvement on Deschutes River tributaries, including water rights acquisition.

The project' s reservoirs and their shores are popular recreation sites, including camping, fishing, boating and water skiing. The plans do not restrict recreation and should actually improve recreational fishing for salmon and steelhead over the long run through increased populations and better habitat.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is expected to act on the new license in late 2004 or early 2005.

# # #

PGE is a recognized leader in the utility industry with more than 115 years of experience delivering safe and reliable electricity. Serving more than 754,000 retail customers in northwest Oregon, the company supports the community through a variety of environmental efforts.

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs is a federally recognized Indian Tribe with 4,312 members. Its reservation in north Central Oregon covers 1,000 square miles.

Federal Court Rules Against FERC on Hells Canyon Case

John Seebach — Tue, 22 Jun 2004 07:00:00 -0500

Project: Hells Canyon : P-1971

Court finds agency' s delay on ESA consultation petition “nothing less than egregious”

SEATTLE – Today, calling the agency' s delay “egregious,” a federal court ordered the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to respond to a 1997 petition from conservation groups requesting that the agency consult with NOAA Fisheries on the adverse impacts the Hells Canyon Complex has on endangered salmon and steelhead.

“We applaud the court' s decision,” said Connie Kelleher of American Rivers. “The court has told FERC in very strong terms that it can' t avoid its responsibilities to protect endangered species by sticking its head in the sand.”

“This decision is great news in terms of making real progress in salmon recovery in the Snake River basin," added Kelleher.

In 1997 a coalition of conservation groups petitioned FERC to meet its obligations in consulting under the ESA with NOAA Fisheries regarding the impacts of the 3 Hells Canyon dams on threatened and endangered Snake River salmon and steelhead. FERC refused to answer the petition, which has now languished for more than six years.

Last year American Rivers and Idaho Rivers United sought a “writ of mandamus” from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals compelling FERC to respond to the 1997 petition.

In a strongly worded opinion (attached - see below), the court found that FERC' s 6-year delay in responding to the petition “is nothing less than egregious.” Accordingly, the court concluded that “petitioners are entitled to an end to FERC' s marathon round of administrative keep-away and soon,” and ordered FERC to take action on the petition within 45 days.

The court acknowledged that a writ of mandamus is “an extraordinary remedy reserved for extraordinary circumstances,” but found that FERC's “unreasonable delay presents such a circumstance because it signals the ‘breakdown of regulatory processes.' "

The massive 3-dam Hells Canyon Complex, owned and operated by Idaho Power Company, has severe impacts on salmon and steelhead. Located on the Snake River on the Idaho/Oregon border, the Complex is the ultimate barrier for migrating salmon and steelhead in the upper Snake River basin. The Complex blocks fish from hundreds of miles of their historic habitat, including over 80 percent of the habitat for Snake River fall chinook salmon. The dams also harm fish downstream by degrading water quality, interfering with fish migration and spawning by altering natural river flows, and blocking the downstream movement of sediment -- causing beach erosion and damage to fish habitat. Although Idaho Power is currently in the process of relicensing this facility, the earliest the new license would be issued is 2006 -- and it could take much longer – up to a decade or more. Some scientists have forecast that certain stocks of Snake River salmon could go extinct as soon as 2016.

While FERC concedes that it must engage in ESA consultation over issuance of the new license, today' s court decision goes to the controversy over whether FERC must also engage in ESA consultation over the current license, issued in 1955. Snake River salmon and steelhead were added to the endangered species list in the early 1990s and since that time, FERC has never consulted over the impacts of the Hells Canyon project.

“The ESA requires agencies to take quick action to protect endangered species, yet FERC's avoidance and delay means endangered salmon have gone six more years without critical recovery measures” said Sara Eddie, attorney for Idaho Rivers United. “We can only hope that now FERC will take that responsibility seriously and order Idaho Power to protect these fish.”

Improving operations at the Hells Canyon Complex is also a key piece of the federal Salmon Plan for the Snake and Columbia Rivers. The Complex interferes with the timely delivery of salmon-friendly flows from upstream dams, thus undermining a primary element of the Salmon Plan. Idaho Power refuses to release this water to help the salmon and steelhead migration without compensation from the federal government, while FERC has allowed this practice to continue.

“Today' s ruling is a huge victory for salmon in a period of repeated failures by this administration and its agencies,” said Pat Ford, Executive Director of Save Our Wild Salmon. “This decision paves the way for ensuring that Idaho Power does its fair share for salmon and salmon dependent communities in the west.”

Meyer & Glitzenstein, a public interest law firm based in Washington, D.C., represented the conservation groups in their lawsuit.

American Rivers is a national non-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy natural rivers and the variety of life they sustain for people, fish, and wildlife. Its Northwest Regional Office, based in Seattle, works on river conservation efforts in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Idaho Rivers United is a statewide non-profit conservation organization based in Boise, Idaho. Its mission is to protect and restore the biological integrity of Idaho' s rivers.

Save Our Wild Salmon is a nationwide coalition of more than 50 conservation organizations, sport and commercial fishing associations, businesses, river groups and taxpayer advocates collaborating to protect and restore sustainable wild runs of America's Pacific Northwest salmon and steelhead, and the habitats upon which they depend.

Contacts:

Connie Kelleher, American Rivers -- (206) 213-0330 ext 14
Sara Eddie, Attorney for Idaho Rivers United -- (208) 342-7024 ext 6
Nicole Cordan, Save Our Wild Salmon -- (503) 703-3733
Jonathan Lovvorn, Meyer & Glitzenstein -- (202) 588-5206 ext 12

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