---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 27 May 1999 02:57:43 -0400 (EDT)
From: Glen Spain <FISH1IFR at AOL.COM>
Reply-To: Fish Habitat <FISHHABITAT at MAIL.ORST.EDU>, FISH1IFR at AOL.COM
To: Multiple recipients of list FISHHABITAT <FISHHABITAT at MAIL.ORST.EDU>
Subject: PGE agrees to remove 2 Portland area dams for salmon
PGE agrees to remove 2 dams
A complex tradeoff to aid fish and improve Portland's water supply will
eliminate the Little Sandy and Marmot dams
Wednesday, May 26, 1999
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-- By Jonathan Brinckman of The Oregonian staff
Portland General Electric plans to remove two aging dams as part of a complex deal that would help guarantee city water supplies and open up habitat for threatened salmon and steelhead trout.
The removal of Little Sandy Dam on the Little Sandy River and Marmot Dam on the Sandy River would end electricity generation at a small PGE powerhouse on Roslyn Lake while making 22 miles of the two rivers available to spawning fish.
City officials said the removal could begin within 12 months. The company planned to announce the decision today.
The dams would be the second and third removed in Oregon to aid fish but by far the largest. An 8-foot-tall irrigation dam in Medford was demolished 10 months ago.
Their removal signals a mounting willingness to alter the region's infrastructure for the benefit of fish and follows this spring's multiple listings of fish for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.
The decision also comes as federal officials consider removing four much larger federal dams on the lower Snake River to help endangered salmon and steelhead.
PGE's announcement is scheduled for 11 a.m. in Portland. Gov. John Kitzhaber, top officials of the National Marine Fisheries Service and Portland City Commissioner Erik Sten plan to attend.
"We're always pleased when dams that are impediments to salmon are opened up," said Brian Gorman, a fisheries service spokesman. "This one is particularly pleasing to us, because everyone wants it to happen."
On Tuesday, PGE, city and federal officials described a plan they said would have widespread benefits:
• The city gains. By helping open more habitat for federally protected fish, Portland wins from the fisheries service permission to use more water from Bull Run for its municipal drinking water system. Bull Run, which is used by threatened salmon and steelhead, dries up each summer when the city holds back water in two reservoirs.
• The fisheries service gains increased habitat for salmon and steelhead. Although the federal Endangered Species Act prevents property owners from damaging habitat used by listed species, the federal government cannot compel property owners to restore habitat.
• PGE avoids the need to make costly renovations to the two dams that might be required in order to renew federal licenses. It also gets a long-term agreement to buy electricity generated at the city's Bull Run dams. The details of that agreement, however, were not disclosed Tuesday.
"I think this is a win-win-win for everyone," said Liz Hamilton, director of the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, a Portland conservation group. "I know of nothing else in the region that comes close to this level of commitment for salmon."
The Little Sandy Dam, built in 1906, and the Marmot Dam, built six years later, collect water for diversion to PGE's Roslyn Lake powerhouse, where it is used to generate 22 megawatts of electric power. By comparison, the four federal dams on the lower Snake River that are being considered for breaching together generate 1,200 megawatts of electric power.
The Roslyn Lake powerhouse is one of eight hydropower facilities and four thermal plants owned by PGE that generate 4,000 megawatts of power.
PGE officials declined to comment on the plan Tuesday, saying they would wait for today's announcement. Company officials have said they were considering removing the Little Sandy Dam but have not mentioned removing Marmot Dam.
Sten declined to disclose details Tuesday. But he said the plan would significantly benefit fish and city residents. "This will allow us to get a lot more done (for salmon and steelhead) for a lot less money," he said.
Removal of the Little Sandy Dam would open up the Little Sandy River Basin for salmon and steelhead, allowing water to flow into a 12-mile stretch -- now virtually dry -- from the dam to where the Little Sandy meets the Bull Run River. The Bull Run River flows into the Sandy River.
Removing Marmot Dam would open 10 miles of the Sandy River to salmon and steelhead.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which licenses dams, would have to approve the plan. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- You can reach Jonathan Brinckman at 503-221-8190 or by e-mail at jbrinckman at news.oregonian.com.------------------------------------------------------------------------ To get off ACN-L send a note to majordomo at acn.ca with unsubscribe acn-l ACN-L archives are at http://www.peter.unmack.net/archive/acn The Aquatic Conservation Network is dedicated to the exchange of information regarding aquatic conservation issues. http://www.acn.ca ACN-L is hosted by Gordon Dewis (gordon at pinetree.org) at www.pinetree.org