Gee Drifter, I wonder how you really feel I wasn't suggesting that the Tacoma mitigation money be used for this project I'm suggesting. My point and interest in bringing this up is that there is 4 miles of Wynoochee River plus the reservoir that is not being effectively used by salmon or steelhead due to ineffective fish passage. Adding an effective fish passage facility would bring that section of upper river back into useful anadromous fish production, and that would be far more effective in terms of additional anadromous fish returning than most of the fish habitat projects that I have seen millions of dollars spent on.

Darth,

I think most of the responsibility for inaction does fall on WDFW. WDFW was instrumental in making the "deal." I wasn't privy to the conversations that led to this deal, but I won't fault WDFW's predecessor agencies for making it. There were some real snake oil maneuvers politically and diplomatically by Harry Hosey that undermines much of the authority that the natural resource agencies normally have in a FERC licensing and property transfer like this. However, as lead on the mitigation fund, WDFW needed to coordinate with federal and tribal fishery agencies, but in the absence of agreement, WDFW needs only to file a plan for the money with FERC for FERC's approval. If FERC approves, which is highly likely, then WDFW may spend the funds according to the approved plan. A near consensus was met about 7 years ago, all agencies and Chehalis Tribe except for QIN. And WDFW won't take a restroom break without QIN's approval, so WDFW won't submit a plan for the mitigation funds until and unless QIN approves. That is totally on WDFW.