Snake River Currents

Volume 1, Issue 13

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SRBA mediation progress has been slow in recent weeks. Negotiators continue to work on framework terms and concepts that address their respective clients' concerns.

Primary discussion areas include augmentation of mainstem Snake River flows and permanent protection of Salmon and Clearwater basin flows. Upcoming discussions are expected to focus on technical flow issues in the Salmon and Clearwater basins.

The Bonneville Power Administration has announced that it will not spill any water this summer to help fish migrate to the ocean. BPA cites low snowpack, a volatile wholesale power market, and the temporary shutdown of the region’s only nuclear power plant as reasons for their decision. Despite the easing of market volatility and the nuclear power plant’s coming back on line, BPA has chosen to ignore the needs of the fish.

Fish advocates say that BPA could raise power rates enough to accommodate salmon recovery, or it could buy more power on the open market. It could also encourage conservation measures.

BPA’s choice to ignore the fish may have severe consequences for Idaho’s fall chinook, which migrate to the sea during the summer months. In other years, the

federal government has spilled water over its dams to give young fish safer passage while they are migrating from freshwater to the ocean. It is expected that without the spill to help fish get through the reservoirs and over the dams, as many as 80 percent of them may die before reaching the first dam, Lower Granite.

There is some chance, however, that BPA’s decision could be changed. Although it is clear that keeping the lights on this winter is a priority, the Northwest Power Planning Council, which advises BPA, has directed that there be an investigation into the possibility of buying power on the open market. Those prices are falling after skyrocketing for the past year. If it is decided that such purchases can be made, there may be some water spilled over the dams for fish this summer.

The tribes are taking the position that spill is necessary. Since power prices are falling and electricity demand has been reduced through conservation and BPA agreements with utilities and industry, it is time to meet the needs of the fish.

The Army Corps of Engineers has installed an $11 million device that it says will ease the passage of young salmon and steelhead through Lower Granite Dam on their journey to the ocean. That device is a giant fish weir, a structure to funnel fish into a small, defined channel. Fish advocates, though, think the weir is a waste of time and money.

Last year, the federal government decided not to recommend breaching the four lower Snake River dams. Instead their approach will be to determine if other measures can save the salmon runs. The weir is one of the technological fixes being tried.

The goal of the weir is to ease fish over a spillway instead of shooting them through its opened gates, where water pressure and dissolved gases act on the fish like the "bends" act on divers. The weir will create a false waterfall that attracts the fish and then passes them over the dam near the top of the water column.

The weir will be mechanically tested throughout the summer, and biologically tested next year. Biologists will track radio-tagged salmon and steelhead smolts as they pass the dam to determine if they use the new route.

In addition to the 1,000-ton weir, the Corps also installed screens, a surface bypass collector, and a behavioral guidance structure to direct young fish away from turbines. The surface collector and behavioral guidance system have since been retired for the time being at Lower Granite, since biologists did not think that they worked well enough.

Despite the Corps’ hopes for the weir, some fish advocates remain skeptical. They believe that scientific research has clearly shown that only way to bring the salmon back is to remove the four lower Snake River dams. The weir may help, but it is not going to solve the problem.

In that day, the swallows were like people. They had the powers of the people. They had built a dam across the Columbia River. They controlled the dam so no salmon could swim past. Coyote saw that the people above the dam were suffering. They had no salmon. Coyote wanted some of that salmon, too.

So, he disguised himself in many ways and tried many tricks to get near the dam. But each time he was discovered. Finally, he disguised himself as a baby and floated down the river on his tule mat. When he got close to the dam where the five swallow sisters could see him, he capsized.

The swallow sisters rushed to the river to save the baby. They fished him, took him to their camp, and put him in a baby board.

The next day, the swallow sisters were going out root digging, and they gave the baby some dried eel to suck on to keep him happy while they were away. Coyote got himself out of that baby board and ran toward the dam.

As soon as he got there, he started to dig and dig. At last, he dug through the dam, creating a channel big enough for the salmon to swim past. Now, the salmon can go upriver.

Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District (LOID) is a participant in the negotiation process with the Nez Perce Tribe, State of Idaho, and the United States in the SRBA. Why is LOID involved in the negotiation of reserved Indian water rights claims? The answer lies in the history of the development of LOID.

LOID’s irrigation system was originally constructed by private interests in 1906. The plan was to divert water from Sweetwater Creek by canal to Mann Lake, and then through a distribution system to houses with acreages in the Orchards area.

The early group had financial problems and was reorganized several times. They also experienced water supply shortages by relying on the flows available in Sweetwater Creek.

To increase their water supply, LOID began pumping from Waha Lake in 1915, and also built the Webb Creek diversion and canal and Soldier’s Meadow Reservoir in 1922.

Water supply, maintenance, and financial problems persisted until 1947 when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation took over the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the diversion, canal, and storage system. The Bureau improved many parts of the LOID system.

LOID, however, soon faced the same problem of providing a reliable supply of irrigation water to the increasing number of residents in the Orchards. The Sweetwater Creek Canal still was losing too much water to evaporation.

Part of the Sweetwater Creek Diversion and Canal and the entire Webb Creek Diversion and Canal are within the Nez Perce

Reservation. The diversion of water from these drainages for this length of time has reduced the fish population, and also impacted the quality of fish habitat downstream in Lapwai Creek. This has been a concern of the Tribe for many years. Mann Lake is also within the Reservation boundaries.

The Tribe has filed instream flow claims in the SRBA on Sweetwater, Webb, and Lapwai Creeks to provide for fish habitat and recovery. If the Tribe’s claims are granted, they would further reduce the amount of water available for diversion from these creeks by LOID. The Tribe’s claims have earlier priority dates, which would allow more water to remain in the creeks to meet instream flow claims.

Faced with competing claims to a limited supply of water, LOID and the Tribe have been negotiating. The negotiations with LOID are an important part of the Tribe’s search for a negotiated settlement of their reserved water rights claims in the SRBA.

With snowpacks averaging about 50% of normal and below normal precipitation this spring, the outlook for both salmon and fires is not good. Early June rains helped somewhat, but July is expected to be warmer than usual. The normal rainfall predicted for July will not be enough to offset low river flows and dry shrubs and grasses. Typical warm and dry conditions are expected for August and September.

Although the predicted hot and dry conditions are favorable for the starting of wildfires by lightning or humans, the number of wildfires that actually occur depend on many other factors. A couple of those are the number of lightning storms that occur and where, and how hot and dry the summer turns out to be.

Rivers are starting to recede, and will continue to do so during the summer months. Indications are that rivers and streams will only be flowing at 30-60% of their normal runoff through the dry summer months.

Reminder: SRBA Court Proceedings Lewiston, October 16, 2001 Nez Perce County Courthouse 10:00 a.m. IDWR information meeting; 1:30 p.m. status conference