September 23, 2019


Kelly Susewind Tyson Johnston
WA Department of Fish and Wildlife Quinault Indian Nation PO Box 43200 PO Box 189
Olympia, WA 98504-3200 Tahola, WA 98587



Subject: Wynoochee Dam Salmon and Steelhead Trust Fund - Draft Recommendation

Dear Sirs:

Thank you for working through the draft recommendations for the use of the Wynoochee Dam Salmon and Steelhead Trust fund with the co-managers in the Chehalis Basin.

The draft proposal shared with Tacoma Power (Tacoma) dated October 12, 2018 under cover letter signed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Quinault Indian Nation includes provisions for increased fish production in the basin and upgrades to existing fish facilities.

Tacoma agrees in concept with the proposal except for the provision that requires Tacoma to pay for trap upgrades. Tacoma believes the trust should fund the upgrades to the trap associated with the Wynoochee Hydroelectric Project (Project).

Tacoma operates the Project as a co-licensee with the City of Aberdeen who owns the Wynoochee Dam, constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) in 1972.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued the original Wynoochee Project license to the co-licensees on September 9, 1987. The Wynoochee License has specific fish mitigation requirements adopted from the provisions of the original Corps construction of the dam.

Per the Special Agreement on Mitigation Responsibilities between the Corps and the licensees dated February 18, 1994 (Special Agreement), the licensees are not required to enhance or make additions to existing fish facilities at the Project. FERC adopted the Special Agreement March 5, 1996 by the Order Amending License and Amending Charges.

As mitigation for impacts to anadromous fish, the Corps constructed a barrier dam and fish trap facilities on the Wynoochee River at river mile 49.6. In addition , as mitigation for the reservoir's inundation of former steelhead spawning habitat, the Corps provided
$696,000 to expand the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's (WDFW) Aberdeen Hatchery in 1977.


Susewind and Johnston September 27, 2019
Page 2 of 2


To mitigate the dam's continuing impacts to anadromous fish, the Corps conducted studies under section 1135 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 for a fish restoration project at the Wynoochee Dam. To inform this process, the Corps established a Fish Restoration Technical Committee (Committee) made up of representatives from state and federal fish and wildlife agencies, Quinault Indian Nation, and the Confederate Chehalis Tribes.

As an outcome of this effort, Tacoma Power set aside in trust approximately $1.2 million which was originally intended for the construction, operation, and maintenance of a hatchery at the Wynoochee Dam. Due to permitting constraints by the US Forest Service, the hatchery was never constructed .

This trust is invested in securities permitted by the laws of the state of Washington, and are accruing interest. The trust is available to fund fish restoration activities recommended by the Committee. The current account balance is approximately $2.6 million.

Tacoma looks forward to committing the trust fund account to fish mitigation in the basin. We are willing to discuss this proposal further with the understanding that additional funding outside the trust will not be provided for the trap and haul operation.

If you have questions , please contact me at (253) 502-8196 or via email at KUnderwood@cityoftacoma .org.

Sincerely,
Keith Underwood
Natural Resources Manager


c: Erich Gaedeke, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Portland Office Tyler Jurasin, Quinault Indian Nation
Chris Mattson, Tacoma Power Travis Nelson, Tacoma Power
Larry Phillips, WA Department of Fish and Wildlife Ron Warren, WA Department of Fish and Wildiife