Wildlife 



Hydroelectric dams in the 

 Columbia River Basin 

 impact wildlife as well as 

 fish. Some flood plain 

 and riparian habitats that 

 are important to wildlife 

 were inundated when 

 reservoirs behind the dams 

 filled with water. In some 

 reservoirs, fluctuating 

 water levels caused by 

 dam operations scour the 

 shoreline of vegetation, 

 resulting in the loss of 

 wildlife habitat and expos- 

 ing wildlife to increased 

 predation. 



A number of other 

 dam-related impacts altered land and stream- 

 side areas where wild birds and animals live. 

 These include road construction, draining and 

 filling of wetlands and altering streambeds. 



Xrc 



rotecting and 

 managing 

 habitat to 

 benefit 



specific animal 

 populations 

 also benefits 

 other animals 

 that use 

 that land. 



D. 



evelopment of the hydropower system 

 did have some benefits for wildlife. For 

 example, some reservoirs provide important 

 resting, feeding and wintering habitat for 

 waterfowl. Our fish and wildlife program 

 addresses the net adverse effects of the 

 hydropower system on wildlife. Electricity 



ratepayers will finance 

 wildlife mitigation mea- 

 sures to the extent that 

 losses were caused by 

 construction and operation 

 of hydroelectric facilities. 

 Mitigation costs attribut- 

 able to other purposes of 

 the dams — flood control, 

 navigation and irrigation, 

 for example - — would be 

 paid by those responsible. 

 Through our program, 

 \ve hope to achieve and 

 sustain levels of habitat 

 and species productivity 

 that fully mitigate wildlife 

 losses resulting from the 

 construction and operation 

 of both federal and 

 non-federal dams. 



During the past several years, ratepayer- < 

 financed wildlife recovery efforts were 

 accomplished on a project-by-project basis. 

 We approved projects that included the acqui- 

 sition of wetland habitat along the Pend 

 Oreille River in northeastern Washington 

 and along the Columbia near Portland and 

 Hermiston, Oregon; big game habitat in 

 Idaho and Washington; and habitat for pygmy 

 rabbits and sharp-tailed grouse in eastern 

 Washington. Protecting and managing 



1974 



U.S. District Court Judge George Boldt rules ttiat Indian tribes 

 with treaty riglnts to fish can take hall the han/estable salmon. 



1975 



The last Snake River chinook 

 tishing season is conducted. 



