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biological benefit from barging and trucking Juvenile fish, nor identified 

 scientifically any way to substantially improve the program and its results for 

 fish. A 1992 review by biologists from several fisheries agencies and Tribes 

 concluded. "It is apparent that [fish] transportation is not a substitute for 

 provision of good in-river migration conditions for many of the salmon 

 stocks evaluated in the [Corps'] studies. For some stocks it appears that 

 transportation may have been detrimental to fish survival." (See Review of 

 Salmon and Steelhead Transportatton Stxidies in the Columbia and Snake 

 Rivers. 1984 to 1989.) Barging young fish has not worked, does not work, 

 and can not be made to work. Thus a successful and effective salmon re- 

 covery effort must act immediately to improve in-river migration conditions. 



Lowering John Day Pool Is a Highly Cost-Effective "Best Buy" 



For the Lower Columbia, the Northwest Power Planning Council among 

 others has proposed to dramatically increase flow augmentation and to lower 

 the John Day reservoir to minimum operating pool. As the longest, fattest, 

 slowest, and most lethal of reservoirs in the salmon migration corridor. 

 John Day requires this modest drawdown to take full advantage of flow 

 augmentation regimes. 



And compared to additional flow augmentation over and above the 

 "water budget." the lowering of John Day reservoir to minimum operating 

 pool offers considerably greater cost-effectiveness. The Northwest Power 

 Planning Council estimates that lowering John Day achieves the flow 

 augmentation equivalent of 3. 1 million acre-feet! Every such calculation of 

 flow augmentation equivalence indicates clearly that operation of John Day at 

 minimum operating pool is a "best buy." (See backgrounders.) This action 

 should proceed immediately. 



Drawdowns in the Snake Basin Provide More Water Velocity More Reliably 



Flow augmentation, in and of itself, is not a reliable strategy for salmon 

 recovery in the Snake Basin. A strategy that relies solely upon flow 

 augmentation produces relatively slower migration speeds, undergoes 

 curtailments during drought conditions, and can limit water available to 

 farm irrigation and firm hydropower generation. As a result, the "water 

 budget" program of flow augmentation during the last decade has not 

 stopped salmon declines, despite expensive annual investments of precious 

 water resources. 



By comparison, drawdowns of the four Lower Snake reservoirs 

 below minimum operating pool can attain faster migration speeds, can do so 

 even in dry water years, and emphasize one-time capital investments. Based 

 upon calculations and initial tests, the drawdowns promise greater biological 

 benefit, reliability, and cost-effectiveness in relieving the juvenile migration 

 blockage at the dams. 



Drawdowns Offer Greatest Promise — Page 2 



