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News Release
Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
911 NE 11th Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97232-4181
Phone: 503/231-6121
Fax: 503/231-2122
July 27, 2000
00-125
Contact: Bill Shake, Portland, 503/872-2761
Fred Olney, Portland, 503/872-2763
Susan Martin, Spokane, 509/891-6839
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE RELEASES DRAFT BIOLOGICAL OPINION FOR BULL TROUT
AND KOOTENAI RIVER WHITE STURGEON
RECOMMENDED DAM OPERATIONS WILL BENEFIT
RESIDENT FISH AND SALMON
Read the Draft Biological Opinion (289
kb pdf file)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) released its draft biological opinion today
on the operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System and its effects on bull trout,
a threatened species, and Kootenai River white sturgeon, which are listed as endangered.
The Service is circulating its draft opinion on behalf of the action agencies to officials
in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana, and to13 Columbia Basin Native American tribes
for technical review.
"The biological opinion recommends certain changes in dam operations in the upper
Columbia River to avoid harming or killing these federally protected species," said
Rowan Gould, acting Regional Director of the Service's Pacific Region. "We believe
these recommended measures will benefit these protected fish while allowing power
production, flood control and reservoir recreation to continue."
Kootenai River white sturgeon were listed in 1994 for protection under the federal
Endangered Species Act. Bull trout in the Columbia River were listed in 1998. Both species
are resident fish, meaning they live their entire lives in fresh water, unlike salmon,
which are born in fresh water, mature in the ocean and return to fresh water to spawn and
die.
In developing its biological opinion, the Fish and Wildlife Service coordinated with the
National Marine Fisheries Service to ensure that the two agencies' recommendations are
consistent and meet the needs of bull trout and sturgeon as well as salmon. The National
Marine Fisheries Service has prepared its own biological opinion on the effect of federal
dam operations on threatened and endangered salmon. Both agencies also met with Columbia
River Basin tribes and the states of Oregon, Idaho, Washington and Montana during
development of the biological opinions.
The Service's biological opinion was developed after consultations with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, which operate the dams, and the
Bonneville Power Administration, which sells electricity generated at the dams.
Consultations were based on operations proposed by these three agencies. The dams included
in the Service's biological opinion are: Bonneville, The Dalles, John Day and McNary dams
(Lower Columbia River facilities); Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, Lower
Granite and Dworshak dams (Lower Snake River/Clearwater River facilities); Grand Coulee,
Albeni Falls, Libby, Hungry Horse and Chief Joseph dams and Banks Lake Pump Storage (Upper
Columbia River facilities).
Because hydropower operations affect bull trout and Kootenai River white sturgeon mostly
in the upper reaches of the Basin, the Service's recommended operational changes focus on
Upper Columbia River dams.
Recommendations in the Service's biological opinion include:
BASIN-WIDE ISSUES:
• Conduct research and evaluation on upstream and downstream passage for bull trout
at all facilities;
• Evaluate whether bull trout passing through turbines (entrainment) is a concern at
any of the hydropower facilities;
• Consider measures to address passage and entrainment based on research and
evaluation;
• Develop and implement performance standards for sturgeon and bull trout.
UPPER COLUMBIA RIVER:
• Focus on the need for minimum flows, and for "ramping rates," or the rate
at which water is released over a dam. Seasonal water management, total dissolved gasses
and fish passage and entrainment also are addressed;
• Operate Albeni Falls Dam in Idaho to benefit kokanee salmon, a key food source for
bull trout in Lake Pend Oreille;
• Provide late-spring flows to help trigger spawning of Kootenai River white
sturgeon, and to provide rearing habitat for this species.
LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER/LOWER SNAKE AND CLEARWATER RIVER:
• Require monitoring of the Lower Columbia River, Snake River and Clearwater River to
better determine the presence of bull trout;
• Monitor flow fluctuations in the rivers to determine if low water levels are
stranding or entrapping bull trout;
• Minimize uncontrolled spill at dams and the effects of total dissolved gas on bull
trout.
"We believe these recommendations, as well as others described in more detail in our
biological opinion, will go a long way toward helping bull trout and Kootenai River white
sturgeon populations recover while contributing to salmon recovery as well," acting
Regional Director Gould said. "Our biologists have worked long and hard with National
Marine Fisheries Service biologists to ensure that efforts to help one species of fish
don't hurt another."
The Service's draft biological opinion is being reviewed alongside the Basin-Wide Salmon
Recovery Strategy and National Marine Fisheries Service draft biological opinion on
federal hydrosystems operations.
The entire U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service draft biological opinion on the operation of the
Federal Columbia River Power System can be viewed at www.r1.fws.gov
– XXX –
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for
conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the
continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre
National Wildlife Refuge System comprising more than 500 national wildlife refuges,
thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66
national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces
Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird
populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife
habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts.
It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars
in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies.
Questions and answers about today's announcement
Bull trout photo
Kootenai River white sturgeon photo (Photo
courtesy of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho)
# # #
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal
agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants and
their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the
93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprising more than 500 national wildlife
refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates
66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces
Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird
populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife
habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts.
It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars
in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies.
Visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Homepage
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