Deschutes Dams Relicensing

[TillamookChinook]

Today's Daily Journal of Commerce reports that "U.S. Department of Interior officials have dropped out of relicensing talks for the Pelton-Round Butte dam complex this year, claiming the negotiations would take too much time and too many resources. . ."

I am sure someone on IFISH has a lot more knowledge about this situation than I do and I hope he/she will comment on this.

Is this something to be concerned about? I expect the Dept. of Interior (U.S. Fish & Wildlife, Endangered Species Act, etc.) to be looking out for the public interest in relicensing of a dam complex on a major salmon/steelhead river. I don't know if Dept. of Interior people are the best advocates for sport fishers, but at least there should be opportunity for public review and public comment on any position they take. I don't know that the public has the same access to the positions of PGE or Warm Springs Tribe.

Are there some other groups or agencies participating in this relicensing process who will be looking out for the public interest?

I recall reading that PGE and the Warm Springs Indians were going to try to restore fish passage across the dams. Is there less pressure on them to do this if a public agency drops out of the process?

Is it important to have U.S. Dept. of Interior involved in this?

(I would post a link to the article, but you have to be registered with DJC to read their articles, so the link would probably be a dead end.)

[ 12-10-2003, 04:07 PM: Message edited by: TillamookChinook ]

[TillamookChinook]

Bump!

[Mojo]

Call me paranoid, but it concerns me too...

[TillamookChinook]

I don't know which scares me more:

The current administration just says "We don't have time to be involved with relicensing a dam on a major salmon/steelhead river."

or, they could say,

"Let's just farm out the study to the mining interests."

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

http://www.bendbulletin.com/news/sto...story_no=11729

I became interested in this re-licensing when tribal negotiators in 2001 proposed a plan to use native non-anadromous kokanee to begin a run of Sockeye from Billy Chinook. I discussed the issue with someone who had just finished a study of Billy Chinook regarding productivity. Turns out this person is here on Ifish but is extremely shy about commenting on management issues. He now works with Sturgeon but I am sure he could give everyone here an insight

[Private-Aye-Fish]

I'd be interested in any updates as well. I have property up at Three Rivers and plan to retire there in a couple years. I fish Lake Billy Chinook more than anywhere else and hate to see the tribal authorities get too much "MORE" control over there.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Originally posted by TillamookChinook:

1) Are there some other groups or agencies participating in this relicensing process who will be looking out for the public interest?

2) I recall reading that PGE and the Warm Springs Indians were going to try to restore fish passage across the dams. Is there less pressure on them to do this if a public agency drops out of the process?

3) Is it important to have U.S. Dept. of Interior involved in this?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">1) Yes. There are a number of representatives from NGO's (non-governmental agencies) as well as some private citizens involved in discussions over relicensing in most cases.

2) Possibly. The folks handling the relicensing talks for PGE have to deal with their corporate bigwigs, who would likely be the ones to feel this was an opportunity to put costly stuff on hold. On the other hand, they may just look at it as an extension. They've already spent a lot of money on the process, and they'd probably just as soon get it over with.

3) Probably. But the fact is, as long as all the i's are dotted and t's crossed, they were going to get relicensed. (IMHO).

These are my opinions based on limited information.

If you want more info, call ODFW's Prineville Office and ask to speak to the person working on hydro relicensing. Maybe Bend if that doesn't work......

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

[BUGLEMAN]

Here is my two cents.

Dam relicensing should be based on an effective plan that would allow salmon to seed into the basin. The project should spend extensive amounts on broodstock programs and relicensing should only be granted as a condition of proven upstream passage and sucessful out migration. There should be studies done and benchmarks set. To assure a best offort by the operator, if the benchmarks are not met then the license as a condition of approval could be revoked.