69 



We are aware of — and our analysis Includes — concerns about the 

 biological and economic effects of a John Day drawdown. We have urged that the 

 economic effects be anticipated and mitigation measures be in place prior to 

 implementation and that a number of analyses be underway addressing biological 

 concerns. These were reported to the Council and its Drawdown Oversight 

 Committee in May by the Corps of Engineers in the draft System Configuration 

 Study, Phase One. We are continuing to evaluate the draft report, a massive, 

 multi-volume document, and I am not prepared today to offer you specific 

 comments on the Corps' conclusions. However, the John Day drawdown is one of 

 the issues we will take up in our fall rulemaking. 



We also Eire aware of the Team's interest in surface bypass facilities at the 

 dams. We are aware of the surface bypass concept, and in our Strategy we called 

 for investigation of promising new technologies to improve salmon bypass at the 

 dams. Surface bypsiss may have promise. We encourage parties to explore it 

 fully, and we plan to take up the matter during our fall rulemaking. 



We also have asked for accelerated installation of smolt detection devices at 

 the dams and dam modifications to accommodate increased spill while reducing 

 the potential for gas bubble trauma in the spilled fish. 



Harvest 



We concur with the Recovery Team that current levels of Snake River 

 spring and summer chinook harvest are very low and appear to have no 

 significant bearing on Snake River population levels. However, both the Council 

 and the Team concluded that fall chinook harvest rates have been too high. The 

 levels of reduction called for in the Strategy and the recovery plan appear similar. 

 The Council and the Team likewise call for no commercieil harvest of sockeye 

 below the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers, and both request that the 

 tribes continue to restrain the ceremonial and subsistence sockeye fishery. The 

 Team and the Council agree that significant reductions in Canadian interception 

 of Snake River fall chinook salmon are needed. In saying this, we understand the 

 United States wUl need to reduce its interception of Canadian stocks as well. 



17 



