669 



State of Idaho 



DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES 



1301 North Orchard Street, Statehouse Mail, Boise, Idaho 83720-9000 

 Phone: (208) 327-7900 FAX: (208). 327-7866 



CECIL D. ANDRUS 

 covnutoe 



October 27, 1993 "" '^T.S^"'^'' 



Representative Peter A. DeFazio 



U.S. House of Representatives j'QW 5 |993 



Committee on Natural Resources 



Washington, D.C. 20515-6201 



Dear Representative DeFazio: 



I eun writing in response to testimony presented by Randall 

 W. Hardy at a Committee on Natural Resources Task Force meeting 

 conducted in Boise, Idaho, on September 24, 1993. 



Mr. Hardy stated " flows for fish migration are inportant . 

 ..." He testified aibout flow augmentation, spill agreements, 

 and storage releases. He failed to point out, however, that the 

 purpose of flow augmentation is to increase water velocities. 



Mr. Hardy specifically avoided any discussion of alternative 

 ways to enhance velocity, including drawdowns of the lower Snake 

 River reservoirs below minimum operating pool. He discussed 

 most, if not all, other possible recovery actions, from 

 construction of new storage to squawfish bounties. The exclusion 

 of any discussion of the drawdown alternative at least implies a 

 predisposition against drawdown as a method of enhancing 

 velocities. 



Legislation enacted by the 1991 Idaho legislature, codified 

 as Idaho Code § 42-1763A, allowed the Director of the Idaho 

 Department of Water Resources to shortcut normal review processes 

 for rental of storage for velocity enhancement. The Director is 

 only authorized to shorten the normal review if: 



(a) The releases are part of an ainnual flow augmentation 

 plan, 



(b) The water rented is part of a regional coordinated 

 effort to enhance salmon runs, and 



(c) Other parties are making a proportional contribution to 

 solving the salmon migration problem. 



The authority expires on January 1, 1995. 



Mr. Hardy stated release of storage may be "prevented by the 

 state of Idaho." The Director of the Idaho Department of Water 

 Resources will allow the release of storage water for velocity 

 enhancement in 1994 if there is a regional coordinated plan with 



