State eyes Libby Dam operations
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Gov. Brian Schweitzer are keeping a close eye on Libby Dam operations this spring, urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to avoid a repeat of last year's spring spill.
The Corps so far has been strictly following a variable flow operation known as "VARQ" that the state of Montana supports. Based on an increased inflow forecast for April, the Corps has lowered its end-of-the-month target elevation for Lake Koocanusa to make room for more water.
The Corps has lowered its April 30 target by 17 feet, from 2,395 to 2,378, said Brian Marotz, fisheries projects manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
In doing so, Marotz said, the Corps will reduce the potential for being forced to release water over the dam's spillway.
That's what happened last spring - a 19-day spill that violated Montana water quality standards on the Kootenai River and caused flooding at Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
Marotz said he has been working closely with the Corps in planning for releases that will be aimed at encouraging white sturgeon spawning this spring. The state's position is that those releases must be carried out within the dam's turbine capacity, rather than spilling water.
Schweitzer makes that position clear in a recent letter to Col. Michael McCormick, district engineer for the Corps.
"While we want to do all we can for the endangered white sturgeon, we obviously do not want a recurrence of events from last year nor do we want any harm done to other resident fish, persons or property around Libby or a disturbance of Montana water quality standards in the process," Schweitzer wrote.
"Montana continues to oppose any spill or flow over current turbine capacity that violate Montana water quality standards or potentially damage resident fish," he continued. "As we observed last year, flows above turbine capacity can also cause significant harm to persons and property below Libby Dam."
Marotz said there will be discussions next week to firm up plans for this spring's sturgeon flows.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com