29 



external was more reliable than the internal and implemented that 

 as their measure. 



When the issue came to a head in the Ice Harbor incident, I was 

 very pleased with the responsiveness of NMFS and the monitoring 

 program through the States and tribes to say, let's take a look at 

 this and they implemented internal monitoring. Another issue 

 came up where spill opponents said we're not finding the gas bub- 

 bles in the fish through the monitoring program because we sam- 

 pled them after they go through the bypass system. They said, if 

 you sample them before they go through the bypass system, then 

 you'll find the gas bubbles. The program adapted to that issue and 

 that concern, which was a legitimate concern. Intertribal Fishery 

 Commission biologists and the National Biological Service went out 

 and addressed that concern and found that, for both internal and 

 external examinations, there were no gas bubble problems with the 

 fish before they went through the bypass. 



So I think the monitoring program has adequately assessed the 

 risk to migrating smolts this year. Let me stress, migrating smolts, 

 not necessarily smolts that are held in a cage for 4 days. The mi- 

 grating smolts, I think, have done well this year. 



Senator Kempthorne. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. 



Mr. Stelle, did you hold your current position in the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service during the spills that were mentioned in 

 the testimony of the preceding panel? 



Mr. Stelle. Last year's spills, sir? 



Senator Kempthorne. Yes, 1994-95. 



Mr. Stelle. No, I didn't. I was appointed to my current position 

 effective September 7, 1994. 



Senator Kempthorne. Were you the individual who made the de- 

 cision to pursue a spill rate regime at the lower Snake and 

 mainstem Columbia Dams this year? 



Mr. Stelle. Yes, sir, I was. 



Senator Kempthorne. As I understand it, last year, 1994, was 

 the first time that the Federal Government decided to run an in- 

 tentional spill program at the major dams on the Columbia and the 

 lower Snake Rivers. That program was terminated within weeks 

 after it began. Was that because monitoring results at different 

 times showed gas bubble trauma in almost 100 percent of the fish 

 that were tested? 



Mr. Stelle. Yes. A couple of clarifications on that. Senator. First 

 of all, I believe it was the first time that we instituted a voluntary 

 spill program at the collector projects but prior to that, we had 

 been for quite a while spilling intentionally at noncollector projects. 

 The program was pursued at the request of the States of Idaho, Or- 

 egon and Washington and the lower river tribes. It was instituted, 

 I believe, at the end of May and after a couple of weeks, because 

 of repeated readings of elevated gas problems with the fish, we 

 backed it down. 



Senator Kempthorne. Last year, the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service testified before this subcommittee on the 1994 spill pro- 

 gram. In that testimony. Dr. Nancy Foster with NMFS said that 

 nitrogen levels were such that they were causing dsonage to both 

 the species that you were trying to protect as well as to other spe- 

 cies. Was Dr. Foster correct in that statement? 



92-531 0-96-2 



