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Lowering John Day Pool — Page 5 



absolutely worst-case calculation that the John Day lowering would price out at $5.05 million 

 annually — a fraction of what flow augmentation costs the hydropower system. So the lowering 

 of John Day reservoir is highly cost-effective as a measure for the region to meet its commitment 

 to fish flows in the Lower Columbia. 



Capital Investments. The Corps estimates the capital cost at $77 million to keep all 

 impacted nver users whole. This is comparable to just one year's average cost to produce the 

 same flsh flush through flow augmentation. And it is a capital investment — once spent, it pays 

 continuous dividends. By contrast, flow augmentation (or fish barging, if it worked) require 

 perpetual annual expenditures. 



A $77 million capital expense to capture the flow augmentation equivalence of 4.3 

 million acre-feet yields a unit cost of less than $18 per acre-foot of water — a "fire sale" price 

 for new storage. The Corps has not identified any new water storage project in the Columbia 

 Basin which carries a unit price of less than $100 per acre-foot. So as a capital investment, given 

 the region's commitment to flow augmentation in the Columbia Rvier, the lowering of John Day 

 reservoir represents a clear "best buy." 



Fisheries. A Pacific Rivers Council study estimates that, even in its currently depressed 

 state, salmon fishing — commercial, sport, and Tribal — pumps $1 billion annually and main- 

 tains 60,000 jobs directly in the Northwest economy. In addition to passing on the legacy of 

 wild salmon runs to future generations, fish recovery in the Columbia Basin can play a vital role 

 in economic health for the region. 



Law 



The Northwest Power Planning Act requires "flows of sufficient quality and quantity" for 

 salmon migrating through the federal hydropower system. The lowering of John Day reservoir 

 to minimum operating pool represents a "best buy" in producing those flows in the Lower Co- 

 lumbia River. 



The Endangered Species Act requires recovery of listed salmon in their natural habitat, 

 i.e. in the river, not in a barge. And in the Lower Columbia, the fish transportation program does 

 not capture and barge more than half the juvenile salmon migrants which arrive at McNary Dam. 



Finally, salmon recovery in the Columbia-Snake River Basin is necessary for the United 

 States to meet its treaty obligations to Northwest Tribes. 



This briefing paper was prepared by Jim Baker, Northwest Salmon Campaign Coordina- 

 tor for the Sierra Club. Please direct questions or comments to Jim Baker, Sierra Club, 

 Columbia Basin Field Office, Route 2, Box 303-A, Pullman, WA 99163; phone/FAX: 

 509-332-5 173. Or to Tim Steams, Save Our WILD Salmon, 6532 Phinney Ave. N, Suite 

 15. Seattle, WA 98103; phone: 206-784-4585, FAX: 206-784-4577. 



