From www.tidepool.org
[SALMON]
SALMON VS 'THE BEAR'

Facing yet another round of increasing power demands and swelling wholesale power prices, the Bonneville Power Administration once again made the no-win decision to possibly jeopardize spring salmon runs by boosting water flows in its Columbia River dam system. With energy prices hovering around $500 per megawatt-hour (compared to $30 one year ago), BPA chose the tough tradeoff of increasing flows to keep the Northwest's lights on, which prompted outcries from environmentalists, with some saying the move will prompt a salmon "massacre."

But power officials counter that the agency shouldn't be blamed for what Mother Nature is already doing. BPA contends the drawdowns thus far amount to less than a 1 percent reduction of spring flows, while the real culprits for threatening spring salmon survival are the winter's record-low snowpack levels and a long, hot, and dry summer predicted by experts.

Unfortunately, as the planets align to seemingly spell doom for salmon, the endangered fish isn't afforded much protection. BPA can run its system harder and drain reservoirs intended for salmon through a special 'emergency' provision in the Endangered Species Act. And officials are already devising scenarios for cutting springtime water spills -- which aid fish passage -- to save billions in dollars in case the agency is strapped for cash.

Amidst the hand-wringing over sacrificing salmon for energy, officials are grasping for solutions. So far, most simply repeat the mantra: "Pray for rain." Water conservation has been strangely silent from the dialogue. Surprisingly, many water users in Oregon hold rights to withdraw water from the state's rivers, but they often have no idea how much they are taking. The state has the authority to require users to measure how much they remove, but lacks the staff or will to do the job.

The only substantial solution offered thus far to address the salmon vs. energy crisis came from Oregon Gov. Kitzhaber, who called for the feds to delay BPA's debt payment for one year. But, as the Seattle Times put it, "politically, Kitzhaber is the sound of one hand clapping." His plan for skipping the BPA's $732 million payment this year was received with a deafening silence from others in the Northwest, who -- rightfully so -- fear the plan would invite Congress to assault BPA and the Northwest's cheap power rates, already coveted by the rest of the nation.

"Why poke the bear by not making a payment on what others already see as a scandalous bargain and rare sweetheart deal?" concluded the Times editorial.

So in the end, the bear may not get poked. But by summer's end, it might just have a heckuva lot of dead salmon to eat.


[This message has been edited by Keta (edited 02-17-2001).]