S-1185.2          _______________________________________________

                            SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8010

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Senators Metcalf and Conner.

Read first time February 8, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Environment & Natural Resources.Opposing the relicensing of the Elwha river dams.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION:

     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

     WHEREAS, The Elwha River wild chinook, especially the spring chinook, were once one of the largest salmon produced by a Washington river, and this salmon's ascent through the steep series of narrow canyons acted as a mechanism for the natural selection of larger fish; and

     WHEREAS, Records indicate one hundred pound fish existed in the river and, at its peak, the Elwha had eight thousand spawning chinook along with sizeable runs of other salmon species; and

     WHEREAS, State and federal park, fish, and wildlife agencies, environmental organizations, and the Lower Elwha Tribe are united in calling for the removal of the dams and restoration of the salmon runs; and

     WHEREAS, Experts agree that it is possible to remove the dams and restore the fish runs; and

     WHEREAS, The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has been unable to require sufficient mitigation to restore the historic levels of salmon; and

     WHEREAS, The first dam on the Lower Elwha is one hundred feet high and was built in 1911 without a fish ladder, and the second dam, the Glines Canyon Dam, is two hundred feet high and was built in 1926 also without a fish ladder the lack of which directly violated an 1890 Washington law; and

     WHEREAS, Hatchery production on the river in no way makes up for the lost fish resource; and

     WHEREAS, The case for demolition of the dams is supported by the General Accounting Office which conducted an eight-month study concluding that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission did not have the authority to relicense the Glines Canyon Dam because it is within the Olympic National Park's boundaries and such relicensing would require an act of Congress; and

     WHEREAS, The Elwha Tribe strongly supports the removal of the dams to make the tribe's programs successful; and

     WHEREAS, The National Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior supports the removal of the dams; and

     WHEREAS, The dams create power for only one major user and there is sufficient power available from the Bonneville Power Administration for that user;

     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the Glines Canyon Dam and the Lower Elwha Dam be removed from the Elwha River and that the full restoration of the anadromous fish runs will be accomplished to benefit sport, commercial, and Indian fisheries; and

     BE IT RESOLVED, That your Memorialists oppose relicensing of the dams on the Elwha River by any federal agency and further oppose any attempt by Congress to relicense these dams; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, each member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.