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1994 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program |
| Council document 94-55 | |
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5.2 Improve Snake River Flow and Velocity
Biological objectives:
1) To improve conditions for salmonid production by increasing flow and water velocities, decreasing downstream migration time for anadromous fish and decreasing the quantity of habitat for predatory and competing fish species; and 2) to endeavor to provide inriver conditions to maximize adult fish survival between dams.
Operational objectives:
To endeavor to provide a minimum monthly average flow or velocity equivalent of 85,000 cubic feet per second in all water years, endeavoring to achieve a monthly average flow or velocity equivalent of 140,000 cubic feet per second at Lower Granite at full pool from April 10 through June 20 in all water years. From June 21 through July 31: the objective is to provide a monthly average flow equivalent of 50,000 cubic feet per second and to exceed this flow target in years of higher runoff.
5.2A Performance Standard: Snake River Spring Migrants
Incorporate the measures described below into firm power planning.[1] Figure 5-1 illustrates the approximate flow equivalent attained when these measures are applied to the historical water record.
Bonneville, Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Other Parties
5.2A.1 Operate the Dworshak Reservoir to improve salmon migration conditions consistent with the measures listed below:
- From January 1 to April 10, in years when Snake River runoff is forecast to be below average, shift system flood control storage space to other Columbia Basin projects.
- Dworshak should be as close as possible to its upper rule curve by April 10 of each year.
- Provide 1,000,000 acre-feet of water plus any water gained from the flood control shift for juvenile fish flow augmentation. This volume of water is in addition to any minimum flow release requirements at Dworshak.[2]
- Dworshak's outflow is limited to 25,000 cubic feet per second during the migration period.
- In emergency situations, for capacity and reliability needs, Dworshak may be used temporarily until arrangements can be made to continue filling toward the upper rule curve.
Bureau of Reclamation, Bonneville and the States
5.2A.2 Use uncontracted storage space to supply at least 90,000 acre-feet of water for spring migrants.
5.2A.3 By 1996, provide an additional 500,000 acre-feet of water from the Snake River Basin and by 1998 a further 500,000 acre-feet (for a total of 1,000,000 acre-feet over and above the 427,000 acre-feet in the Strategy for Salmon's immediate measures and the summer water provided under Section 5.2B) to augment flows in the lower Snake River in the April 10 through September time period. All such water should be used to benefit both Snake and Columbia river migrants, with no corresponding reduction in Columbia River flows unless the Columbia River flow/velocity objective is being met. This water may be obtained through willing seller/buyer transactions, other non-structural approaches, new storage (Section 5.2E), or a combination of such alternatives. The states should cooperate to ensure that this water will be allowed to move freely downstream, undiminished by diversion. The Fish Operations Executive Committee may recommend that some of this water be used to control water temperatures for adult salmon.
5.2A.4 To provide the water described above, review the cost-effectiveness of measures identified in the Bookman-Edmonston/ Snake River Water Committee report on irrigation efficiency improvements and other non-structural water alternatives, the Bureau of Reclamation's storage appraisal study and other sources, and implement least costly measures first.
Idaho, Oregon and Washington
5.2A.5 Facilitate water transactions to aid instream flows for salmon and steelhead by allowing water bank prices to achieve market levels, eliminating obstacles to downstream use for instream flows and developing expedited water transfer procedures.
Bonneville and Bureau of Reclamation
5.2A.6 Share equally the cost of securing the water described in measures 5.2A.3 - 5.2A.5.
Bonneville
5.2A.7 Fund an independent, third-party evaluation of the effectiveness of measures 5.2A.3 - 5.2A.5, above, to provide water for salmon and steelhead.
Council
5.2A.8 Refine the cost-effectiveness method-ology developed by the Environmental Defense Fund for use in future analysis of structural and nonstructural water measures.
Idaho Power Company, Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
5.2A.9 Operate Brownlee Reservoir to ensure that water described in measures 5.2A.2 and 5.2D.1 is released to assist spring migrants. Report to the Council each year during the river operations planning process on the Idaho Power Company's effort to shape this water.
5.2A.10 As needed to meet operational flow or temperature objectives, operate Brownlee dam to provide up to 110,000 acre-feet of water in the spring for flow augmentation. Pass inflow in June (do not refill). Provide up to 137,000 acre-feet in July. Pass through 50,000 to 140,000 acre-feet in August. Provide 100,000 acre-feet in September.
5.2A.11 Modify operation of the Hells Canyon Complex to provide coordinated fall and spring flows below Hells Canyon Dam to maintain fall chinook spawning, incubation and emergence. Evaluate options for providing more water for fish flows from Brownlee Reservoir, including substantially improved ability to shape water from the Snake River Basin for spring and summer migrants and report to the Council by the end of 1993.
Bureau of Reclamation, Idaho and Oregon
5.2A.12 Establish, in cooperation with fish and wildlife agencies, Indian tribes and interested parties, a Snake River Anadromous Fish Water Management Office to facilitate the use of water from the Snake River Basin. Report to the Council by May 1992.
5.2B Summer Migrants
Idaho Power Company and Federal Energy Regulators Commission
5.2B.1 During July, draft Brownlee Reservoir to a minimum elevation of 2,067 feet above sea level to provide up to 137,000 acre-feet for juvenile fall chinook migrants (Section 5.2A.10 above).
Corps of Engineers
5.2B.2 Allow Dworshak to draft to elevation 1,520 feet by the end of July, if needed to assist in meeting the summer basin flow and velocity objectives.
5.2B.3 Use remaining water identified in measure 5.2A.3 if needed to meet the summer flow objective, or for adult temperature control, as recommended by the Fish Operations Executive Committee.
5.2C Allocation of Power Losses at Brownlee Reservoir
Bonneville
5.2C.1 If Idaho Power Company experiences a power loss as a result of participating in the water budget, and it is determined that the need for water from Brownlee Reservoir is not attributable to the development and operation of Idaho Power Company's Hells Canyon Complex, Bonneville should replace the lost power. To allocate non-power impacts equitably between Dworshak and Brownlee reservoirs, some spill at Dworshak may be necessary. It is expected that Idaho Power Company will experience power losses as a result of operating Brownlee Reservoir for the purpose of supplying the water budget. Idaho Power Company maintains that, through its settlement agreement and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license, it has compensated for all adverse effects of its projects on fish. The Council does not express an opinion on this question. Nevertheless, the Council believes that Idaho Power Company's participation in providing flows on the Snake River will help significantly in providing systemwide flows for downstream migration.
5.2D Pursue Snake River Water Efficiencies and Transactions
Bureau of Reclamation, Idaho, Oregon, Bonneville and Other Parties
5.2D.1 Unless the forecasted April-through-July runoff at Lower Granite exceeds 29 million acre-feet, use water efficiency improvements, water marketing transactions, dry-year option leasing, storage buy-backs, and other measures to secure at least 100,000 acre-feet of water from the Snake River Basin for spring migrants. Of this amount, half should be secured by the Bureau of Reclamation, and half should be secured with financial incentives provided by Bonneville (through the Idaho Water Rental Pilot Project, or such other processes as the Bureau of Reclamation, Idaho, Oregon and Bonneville choose).
Bureau of Reclamation, Idaho, Bonneville and Other Parties
5.2D.2 Use water efficiency improvements, water marketing transactions, dry-year option leasing, storage buy-backs and other measures to provide up to 137,000 acre-feet of water in August, in light of the operation described in Section 5.2B.1, above, and to provide 100,000 acre-feet of water in September to reduce water temperatures (see Section 6.1D.3). Of this amount, half should be secured by the Bureau of Reclamation and half should be secured on a matching basis using financial incentives provided by Bonneville (through the Idaho Water Rental Pilot Project or such other processes the parties choose).
Bonneville
5.2D.3 Fund an independent, third-party evaluation of the effectiveness of measures 5.2A.3 and 5.2B.5, above, to provide water for salmon and steelhead.
5.2E Additional Storage Projects
Bureau of Reclamation, Corps of Engineers, Bonneville, Idaho, Oregon and Others
5.2E.1 Proceed with all necessary planning, design and National Environmental Policy Act compliance for the Galloway, Upper Rosevear Gulch and Jacobsen Gulch storage projects, to be operated exclusively to store water for flow augmentation for salmon and steelhead. Upon completion, submit to the Council for review and decision whether to proceed with construction. The Council anticipates making a decision on construction in 2002, upon completion of the spread-the-risk evaluation described in Section 5.0.
[1] Where the Council calls for incorporation of flow or other measures into firm planning, the Council means that the federal project operators and regulators incorporate these measures in all system planning and operations performed under the Columbia River Treaty, the Pacific Northwest Coordination Agreement, and in other applicable procedures affecting river operations, and all parties will act in good faith in implementing these measures as firm requirements.
[2] The project minimum flow release at Dworshak Dam is assumed to be 1,200 cubic feet per second.