177 



between the historic mandates and newer responsibilities, and occasionally, conflicts 

 between the three agencies over how to interpret and prioritize the different uses of the 

 river. 



Although the SOR lead agencies are the primary decisions makers, other agencies and 

 entities also play a role. A number of Indian tribes along the river have treaties v^rith the 

 Federal government that establish their rights to fisheries in the river. In the past few 

 years the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has played a stronger role in 

 dedsioiis about river operatior\s as part of its responsibilities to protect threatened or 

 endangered anadramous fish spedes in the Columbia River system, and the U.S. Fish 

 and Wildlife Service will soon assume a comparable role protecting other spedes. The 

 Northwest Power Planning Coundl also prepares regional plans for power, and fish 

 and wildlife, that influence river operations. Other Federal and state agendes play 

 some role in dedsionmaking about river operations. 



The SOR lead agendes are also not the only entities who generate hydropower on the 

 Columbia River system. Several other power generating utilities make dedsions that 

 affect river operations. In 1964, the SOR lead agendes and 14 (later to become 15) 

 power generating utilities entered into an agreement called the Padfic Northwest 

 Coordination Agreement (PNCA). The purpose of this agreement is to jointly plan and 

 coordinate the power operation of the system as if all the facilities belonged to a single 

 owner. Operating the system in this maimer produces a greater amount of power from 

 the available water. This agreement expires in 2003, and its renewal or replacement is 

 also being evaluated as part of the SOR. More ii\formation about the PNCA is in 

 Chapter 2, Background. A complete analysis of PNCA alternatives is contained the 

 PNCA Techrucal Appendix _. 



September 15, 1993 8 



