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undertaking a joint Columbia River System Operation Review (SOR) . 

 The SOR is examining a number of options for operating the 

 Federal facilities in the Columbia River Basin and providing 

 power to the region with the goal of developing a System 

 Operating Strategy to meet regional water uses. 



In the Snake River system, the lack of water storage limits 

 supplemental flow capability and often results in power 

 production and salmon measures competing for the same limited 

 available water resource. To increase the available water for 

 both, additional storage would be necessary. 



The System Configuration Study is looking at, among other 

 alternatives, increased storage capacity in the Snake River Basin 

 to provide for increased flows in the basin. Another potential 

 action is to further reduce flood control at existing storage 

 projects. The Corps carried out a study to examine flood control 

 "rule curves" as called for in the Council's fish and wildlife 

 plan. As a result, extensive changes were made in the criteria 

 to make more water available for fish. Further flood control 

 flexibility was gained as a result of Endangered Species Act 

 consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service. The SOR 

 analyses consider hydro-system flow augmentation scenarios which 

 could further modify system flood control. The evaluation is 

 addressing the flood risk, economic considerations and other 

 factors associated with the strategy. Again I want to emphasize 

 the need for additional scientific information in this area. 

 Currently, we do not know with any certainty how much salmon 

 survival will be improved with increased flows. 



Institutional Arrangements 



We are pleased that you raise the series of questions 

 related to institutional arrangements for salmon recovery 

 implementation. Several of them are in fact the very questions 

 the Corps, the Bonneville Power Administration and the Bureau of 

 Recl£unation have identified and are exploring in the Columbia 

 River System Operation Review. 



Besides the System Operating Strategy I already mentioned, 

 the SOR is considering and evaluating alternatives in three other 

 areas: the Pacific Northwest Coordination Agreement; Canadian 

 Entitlement Allocation Agreements; and, what we term the 

 Columbia River Regional Forvun. The "Forvim" is intended to be a 

 mechanism to integrate multiple use requirements into Federal 

 decisions on the operation of the Federal dams in the Columbia 

 River system. It would be employed in periodic review and 

 updating of the System Operating Strategy which, in turn, is 

 intended to establish balanced river operations to meet all 

 system uses, including anadromous fish. 



A technical appendix to the Draft Environmental Impact 

 Statement for the SOR is being prepared for assessment of various 



