HOUSE BILL REPORT

HJM 4017

BYRepresentative R. King 

Asking Congress to direct the army corps of engineers to construct fish bypass facilities on the Columbia River.

House Committe on Fisheries & Wildlife

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (11)

      Signed by Representatives R. King, Chair; Morris, Vice Chair; S. Wilson, Ranking Republican Member; Basich, Bowman, Brooks, Cole, Haugen, Smith, Spanel and Vekich.

House Staff:Pamela Madson (786-7310)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES & WILDLIFE FEBRUARY 28, 1989

BACKGROUND:

Salmon and steelhead originating in the Columbia River must migrate past the federal hydroelectric projects located on the river. The fish may pass through the turbines that generate electricity, or travel over the dam's spillway if water is being passed over the spillway.  The fish may be diverted from the turbines by a bypass facility and, if necessary, captured and transported around the dam.

Three of the eight Columbia River dams, owned and operated by the Army Corps of Engineers, do not have bypass facilities to steer juvenile salmon away from the turbines.  Some of the other dams have inadequate bypass facilities or have facilities that need improvement.

The estimated mortality rate of juvenile salmon passing through turbines is 15 percent while the mortality rate of passing over a spillway is 2 percent.  Not all dams operated by the corps pass water over their spillways.  Based on the corps' estimate of fish present, it tries to achieve a 90 percent survival rate.  At times, that requires water to pass over the spillway.

The combination of inadequate bypass facilities and insufficient spill has resulted in significant mortality to salmon and steelhead.

In November of 1987, a Spill Memorandum of Agreement was negotiated by utility groups, Indian tribes, several federal agencies, and state agencies in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.  The Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation did not sign the agreement.  The bureau, however, has stated its intention to comply with the terms of the agreement.

The agreement proposes to develop and install bypass facilities over a 10-year period, and during the interim, certain levels of spill have been negotiated that will allow an increased percentage of juvenile salmon and steelhead to survive their migration downstream. All dams in the agreement are owned by the corps.

The Northwest Power Planning Council (NWPPC) has agreed to amend its Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program for 1989 to include the spill provisions of the agreement.

Congress has appropriated money to the corps to design and test prototype bypass facilities but the corps has not implemented this project.  In the 1988 appropriations bill, Congress directed the corps to spend the appropriation for this project on specific dams.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  The President and Congress are asked to appropriate funds necessary to finance construction of bypass facilities and to direct the Army Corps of Engineers to implement the spill agreement and to install appropriate bypass facilities as soon as possible.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  The Legislature encourages the Northwest Power Planning Council to permanently amend the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program to include the spill memorandum of agreement.  The memorial shall be sent to Tom Trulove, Chair of the Northwest Power Planning Council.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Gary Fenton, Department of Wildlife (also speaking for Department of Fisheries).

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    A spill program and mechanical bypass system at selected Columbia River Dams will increase the populations of salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River.  Efforts have been going on for several years to improve fish passage on the Columbia.  These efforts have resulted in construction and operation of bypass facilities at several of the Columbia River projects.  Until other projects are completed, increased spill levels at these dams will provide safer passage for fish by keeping them out of the turbines.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.