84 



salmon survival, there are many different opinions. We understand 

 that and we, again, are going to rely upon NMFS to sort out those 

 differences. 



Senator Kempthorne. That's a good response. 



Can we recover the salmon, Colonel? 



Colonel BoHN. Mr. Chairman, I think we can. We're showing 

 some results already from NMFS' studies in 1993 and 1994, that 

 survival through the pools and through the dams in the lower 

 Snake River is, in fact, higher than previously understood from 

 earlier studies in the 1970's, so we think that the measures and all 

 the effort we've put into the facilities are improving survival. 



What we can't comment on is how that improvement in those 

 physical conditions as the salmon pass those eight hydroelectric 

 projects will affect the overall life cycle of the salmon and if it will 

 ever result in a greater return of adult salmon. 



Senator Kempthorne. Now, Colonel, we've discussed a lot of 

 science today. You are an engineer by profession? 



Colonel BoHN. Yes, Mr. Chairman. 



Senator Kempthorne. Could you and I agree, you're the engineer 

 but I'm a lajrman, but could we agree that probably the major ob- 

 stacle to the recovery of the salmon are the dams? 



Colonel BoHN. Mr. Chairman, I'd say that the dams are an im- 

 portant factor in recovery of the salmon. It's really unclear as to 

 exactly the role they play versus all the other factors that are im- 

 pacting on the salmon. 



Senator Kempthorne. As an engineer, are we doing all that we 

 could to modify those dams to your satisfaction? 



Colonel BoHN. Mr. Chairman, we have I think every measure 

 that is practical and usable built into the biological opinion. Of 

 course the biological opinion for 1995 addresses operations between 

 1995 and 1998. However, it considers measures for improving the 

 system well into the next decade. We think those measures have 

 all been considered, those that are useful are in the program, and 

 we want to pursue that in a very orderly fashion, identifying the 

 useful measures and spending our funds wisely to achieve the best 

 success. 



Senator Kempthorne. Would you put surface collection devices 

 in place to collect the smolts? 



Colonel Bohn. We'd like to go ahead as soon as we can and have 

 workable designs for surface collection and install them. They prob- 

 ably hold the most promise of all the ideas out in the region, and 

 again, we accept ideas from all sources, and surface collection is 

 probably the best idea that we have going right now. We have 

 projects ongoing both within the Portland District and the Walla 

 Walla District to install prototype facilities this year and test some 

 of the hydraulic features of surface collection. We want to be very 

 careful that before we start going to full scale construction on these 

 installations that they, in fact, work. We visit other projects where 

 they are in place and we consult with those folks operating that 

 kind of system now. 



Senator Kempthorne. Mr. Stelle, in his testimony, stated that 

 the dams were "not fish friendly." Do you agree with that or is that 

 hard for an engineer to say? 



