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• Moving juveniles successfully in-stream. Years in which spill and high flows were 

 combined translated into years of high adult returns Management of Snake river 

 reservoirs, under normal operations, slows water particle travel time five fold, 

 greatly increasing smolt travel time 



• Flow volumes facilitate and stimulate adult up-stream migration 



• Increased flows can help lower deadly summer water temperatures harmful to both 

 juvenile and adult migrants According to the studies cited in the 1994 DFOP, 

 "water temperature is strongly and negatively correlated with flow" 



• Shortened travel times induced by higher flows will reduce predatlon in several 

 ways: Foremost, a lessened travel time translates into less exposure to predators. 

 Flow disburses predators into the slack waters they have a preference for 

 Increased flow would conceivably save a great deal of money currently spent on 

 predator control i' 



• Increased flows combined with a carefully monitored spill program, would allow for 

 the majority of juveniles to successfully travel in-stream, reducing or eliminating 

 funds spent on the failed barging experiments 



Further studies in lieu of action combined with studies appear to be another attempt at 

 delay and "paralysis by analysis " The crashing fish populations that we are forced 

 to deal with can no longer be placed on the backs of the fishing industry Our sacrifices 

 in harvest have not returned to us with increased numbers of fish. The fish cannot 

 afford further delay with studies and continuation of the "status quo", nor can our 

 industry. As was eloquently stated at the Fish Operations Executive Committee 

 meeting of the Northwest Power Planning Council on 20th, "We have exhausted all of 

 the easy choices We are down to the hard choices " 



NSIA concurs, the waters of the Columbia need to be managed with more balance, 

 giving more of its flow and water to ensure the survival of our once historic salmon 

 populations. In addition to flow, NSIA recognizes spill as the safest way to spread the 

 risk and facilitate safe, in-stream migration for migrants 



The spill program is the best near-term option to improve survival of juvenile migrants 

 ODFW and other fishery analysts show that spill would double the survival of the 

 juveniles migrating in river. While dissolved gas can be a problem, this program is 

 coupled with a detailed and effective monitoring program to detect and correct any 

 occurrences of gas bubble trauma 



The spill program DID not to produce any dissolved gas levels that are not 

 already commonly occurring in routine operations of these dams. In fact, the 

 levels of dissolved nitrogen and gas bubble trauma were less in most instances than 

 last year, when NO objections were raised to spill. 



The real issue of concern, is not the "smokescreen" issue of gas bubble trauma 

 Without a doubt, there has been many times in the past where operation of the hydro- 

 system was in violation if DOE standards The real issue here in the minds of the 



