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Gerald R. Bouck. Ph.D.. Consulting Aquatic Biologist 



9691 SW Alsea Dr., Tualatin, OR 97062 (503) 692-4907 



June 20, 1995 



Honorable Dirk Kemptliome and Hany Reid. 



Senate Subcommittee on Drinking Water, Fisheries, and Wildlife. 



415 Hart Senate Office Building, 



Washington. D.C. 20510 



Dear Senators Kempthome and Reid: 



1 appreciate the opportunity to present my views regarding oversight of tiie 

 National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) policy on spills at Columbia River 

 hydropower dams, gas bubble trauma (disease) in tlireatened and endangered salmon, and 

 the scientiflc method used under tiie Endangered Species Act. 



By way of introduction. I retired as Senior Fisheries Scientist in April, 1994 from 

 the Division of Fish and Wildlife. Bonneville Power Administration. Most of my 31 years 

 of Federal Service were spent researching the water quality requirements of Columbia 

 River Pacific salmon, either in tiie Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the U.S. 

 Fisli and Wildlife Service (USFWS), 1 have publislied over 20 articles specifically 

 concerning dissolved gas effects on fish, and I have provided free consultation to 

 numerous persons and institutions both across the United States and around the world. At 

 BP.A my work concerned salmon hatcheries, habitat, and fish health. I received both a 

 Gold and a Siher Medal from the EPA for my work on gas supersatiu-ation and salmon, a 

 special achievement award from the USFWS for my work on measuring dissolved gases, 

 a BPA Administrator's award for achievement in envirorunental protection, and at my 

 retirement the BPA Administrator's award for Distingviislied Service. 



1 8er\'e on tiie National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS), Northwest Fisheries 

 Center, Advisory Panel On Gas Bubble Di*ease and Supersaturahon. This Panel has 

 provided NMFS witii recommendations on several issues, but we have not been asked to 

 re\iew the Fisli Passage Center's Spill and 1995 Risk Management Analysis (dated 

 L 17,95), the NMFS's 1995 Biological Opinioa or the draft Snake River Salmon Recovery 

 Plan. 



Your questions and my specific comments are as follows: 



1. Are the benefits of using spill as a flsti passage mechanism established, 

 especially in relation to other fish pa.isage mechanisms? What is the scientific 

 validity of the National Marine Fishertes Service (NMFS) spUl policy? 



No 1 believe that definitive data from field studies of spill benefits are lacking, 

 and therefore, it isn't clear whether spill per se actually recmits more adult salmon (or 



