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Supplement: Lowenng John Day Pool — Page 4 



The NIU study assumes a lowering of John Day pool for 4 months. May 1 to August 31. 

 However, if the reservoir level were dropped to MOP year round, the exposed lake banks would re- 

 vegetate, and thus the aquatic and riparian habitat zones would re-establish themselves at the lower 

 elevations. Operation of John Day pool at MOP for 365 days annually has the added advantage of 

 allowing a transfer of flood control storage from upstream storage reservoirs, and thereby maintain- 

 ing higher pool levels in Grand Coulee, Libby, and Hungry Horse — a major benefit for resident fish 

 and recreation at those sites. 



In a letter dated June 14, 1993, Marvin Plenert, Northwest Regional Director of the U.S. Fish 

 and Wildlife Service, states that his agency "continues to support the concept of pool-lowering at the 

 John Day Dam to aid in reducing the travel time of outmigrating juvenile salmonids," and that, for 

 resulting impacts to the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge, "an appropriate mitigation plan can be 

 developed." 



The NIU study further warns of reduced fish passage, particularly by adults over the ladders 

 at John Day and McNary dams. But the Corps' estimate of $77 million capital cost for mitigations 

 includes the minor fish ladder modifications necessary for safe adult passage. 



In the executive summary, the biologists under contract to NIU state that "dissolved 

 [nitrogen) gas supersaturation of longer duration and higher levels is likely to occur at both John Day 

 and McNary dams resulting in higher losses of both resident and salmonid fishes." But neither the 

 body of the study nor any other report gives any reason whatsoever to believe that spill at either dam 

 and thus nitrogen supersaturation would increase due to operation of John Day pool at MOP. The 

 NIU study lamely cites Corps projections of spill at Lower Snake projects for which proposals call 

 for drawdowns well below MOP. 



Finally, after picking inaccurate and misleading numbers for increased water velocity by 

 lowering John Day pool, the NIU study concludes, "Computational model results predict that 

 drawdown to minimum operating elevation could increase the return of wild adult salmon to Idaho 

 by an additional 50 fish (primarily spring and summer chinook). . . Almost no benefit can be expected 

 for Snake River sockeye and fall chinook." The computational model alluded to in the text has been 

 discredited and rejected in peer review. 



Conclusion 



On every scale — biological benefit, cost-effectiveness, and/or avoidance of economic 

 impacts, the lowering of John Day reservoir to minimum operating pool just makes good sense as 

 a measure to save threatened and endangered wild salmon in the Snake River Basin as well as the 

 mid-Columbia. It's a "best buy." Congress should appropriate funds in Fiscal Year 1993-94, and 

 direct the Corps to begin work immediately. 



This supplemental briefing paper was prepared by Jim Baker, Northwest Salmon Cam- 

 paign Coordinator 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: 509-332-5173. 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. 



