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Reimagining the Columbia River Basin: Challenges and Collaborative Solutions

Explore the historical significance and current dilemmas facing the Columbia River Basin, focusing on salmon restoration, tribal rights, and ecosystem preservation, with a look at innovative approaches for sustainable management.

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Reimagining the Columbia River Basin: Challenges and Collaborative Solutions

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  1. The Columbia River Basin Where we’ve been. Where we’re going. October 18, 2005

  2. Basin Facts • 260,000 mi2 • Canada has: • 15% area • 25% of runoff volume • 78,510,000 acre-ft yearly average flow • 2650 ft elevation change • Hundreds of Dams • 1961 Cooperative Development Treaty with Canada http://www.nwd.usace.army.mil/ps/colrvbsn.htm

  3. Dam… • 250 Reservoirs • 150 Hydroelectric Projects • 13 Mainstream Dams • 5 on the Snake • By mid-’70’s completely engineered • “Slack Water” • 1 mph stream flow

  4. The Problem • Historically 10-16 Million Salmon and Steelhead returned annually to spawn • By 1960 – 5 Million annually • Late 1990’s - 1 Million annually (most from hatcheries) http://www.nwd.usace.army.mil/ps/colrvbsn.htm

  5. 12 stocks of salmon and steelhead are threatened or endangered. Basin rivers listed as “water quality limited.” Tribal Nations rights are being limited or ignored. 2% or fish harvest River freight traffic key to basin economy. Large number of stakeholders and interest groups The Problem (II)

  6. …Double Dam • 8 mainstream dams cause: • Increased dissolved nitrogen • Increased temperatures • Migration obstacles • Slack water • Resulting in high fish mortality • Up to 93% for Chinook

  7. US Army Corps of Engineers Lower Snake River Juvenile Salmon Migration Study: Concluded that dam breaching would be the best for restoration. Goal: Improve migration conditions for fish in the Lower Snake River. US Fish and Wildlife Service Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project: “Scientific and ecosystems based” management strategy. Goal: Protect high quality habitat while restoring poorer habitat Different Groups, Common Goals

  8. The Federal Caucus Formed to formulate a system wide recovery plan. Goal: Conserve species and ecosystems, assure tribal fishing rights, balance the needs of other species, minimize adverse impacts on humans. Northwest Power Planning Council Multi-Species Framework Project:7 alternatives for restoration focusing on ecology and economy. Goal: Restore the ecosystem beyond what is required by the ESA. Different Groups, Common Goals (II)

  9. What is going on now? • Studies, studies, and more studies. • Flow augmentation • Fish ladders on all 8 Corps dams • 1938 for Bonneville Dam • Various means of juvenile fish passage • Spillway or bypass • Juvenile fish transportation program http://www.nwd.usace.army.mil/ps/colrvbsn.htm

  10. Issues still at hand. • Dealing with the rights of Tribal Nations and First Peoples • Extent of ecosystem restoration • Dealing with economic impacts

  11. Questions! • How do Tribal Nations (First Peoples) affect any US-Canada treaty in the basin? • How broad will the affect of the breach of treaties with Tribal Nations (First Peoples), and/or the method in which the US and Canada address their concerns be on development of other trans-boundary treaties or agreements? If mismanaged, will the US or Canada be looked at negatively when attempting to help other nations water development?

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