Governor pushes to keep Montana dam flows stable

Gov. Brian Schweitzer is pressing the Obama administration to back hydroelectric dam operations that favor Montana rivers and reservoirs but face continuous challenges from downstream interests.

Specifically, Oregon and the National Wildlife Federation continue to press for more Montana water in the summer than what is provided in the 2008 Biological Opinion for the Columbia River Power System.

The "BiOp" was developed through a collaboration of states, federal agencies and tribes, after years of disagreement and litigation. A federal judge has backed it so far, but Schweitzer is seeking additional support from the Obama administration's Council on Environmental Quality.

"You may hear that the current BiOp is a product of the Bush administration and that it should be rejected as legally and technically flawed," Schweitzer wrote. "While the court will make judgments on the legal merits of the BiOp, this hearsay does not provide an accurate portrayal of the current BiOp."

Schweitzer asserts that the 2008 BiOp is far superior to previous opinions.

"Montana believes this to be the case not only because of the science behind the BiOp but because the 2008 BiOp enjoys the broadest base of regional support of any previous attempt," he said.

It is supported by Washington, Idaho and Montana, along with the Yakima, Warm Springs, Umatilla, Colville, Shoshone-Bannock, and Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes, along with the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho.

"Many of these sovereigns were opposed to, and litigated against, previous BiOps," Schweitzer noted.

Brian Marotz, a biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks who has been involved with the issue for years, explained that Montana's concerns involve provisions in the BiOp related to Hungry Horse and Libby dam operations.

The BiOp's "mainstem amendments' are set to be fully implemented for the first time this year, Marotz said. Those provisions limit the summer drawdowns at the two reservoirs to no more than 10 feet in most years, and up to 20 feet during the driest years.

But more importantly, the nature in which water is released from the dams has been changed, allowing for a natural decline in river flows below the dams through the summer and into September, the most biologically productive months of the year for fisheries.

For years, the dams were operated to produce an unnatural flush of water in August, a 'second peak" that damaged biological productivity in Montana for the sake of augmenting flows in the lower Columbia River system for migrating salmon.

Marotz said Oregon and the National Wildlife Federation are seeking injunctive relief from U.S. District Judge James Redden to restore aspects of "flow augmentation."

"They don't like the fact that they would have less summer water under this' 2008 BiOp, Marotz said. "They are more concerned about having really high flows downstream. They seem to forget that that causes completely unnatural flows up here."

It's an issue that Montana has been battling as far back as the administration of Gov. Marc Racicot, who sued to stop the practice.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com