August 14, 2003

The Council this week recommended nearly $1 million in funding to construct fish diversion screens on two irrigation intakes in north central Washington, a project authorized in an agreement negotiated by federal and state authorities and the Methow Valley Irrigation District. The screens will help protect Endangered Species Act-listed spring chinook salmon in the Twisp and Methow rivers.

Young camper fishes the Twisp River.

The Council approved the screen installation and recommended the Bonneville Power Administration provide $957,583 to install the screens at the district's East Side Canal and West Side Canal intakes. Bonneville is required by law to mitigate the impacts of hydropower on fish and wildlife of the Columbia River Basin and does so through projects authorized by the Council. These projects include habitat improvements such as the diversion screens, which will keep juvenile salmon from being drawn into the canals. The East Side Canal diverts water to the district from the Methow River, and the West Side Canal diverts water from the Twisp River.

"The Council has maintained its commitment to endangered salmon in the Methow and Twisp rivers," Council Vice Chair Tom Karier of Spokane said. "These screens are an important step in the right direction to reduce impacts on these ESA-listed populations."

The decision culminates seven years of negotiation between state and federal authorities, the district and other interested parties. An "agreement in principle" regarding protection for salmon in the two rivers was signed recently by the district, Bonneville, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Washington Department of Ecology and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The district agreed to assume all maintenance and operations costs for the new fish screens.

The Council is an agency of the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington and is directed by the Northwest Power Act of 1980 to prepare a program to protect, mitigate and enhance fish and wildlife of the Columbia River Basin affected by hydropower dams while also assuring the region an adequate, efficient, economical and reliable power supply. The Council approved the screen installation as part of its Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program.