Report Summary, Final Hells Canyon Environmental Investigation.

Abstract

The Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act of 1980 provided for the establishment of a Regional Power Planning Council (Regional Council) and mandated the development of a Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (F&W Program). The F&W Program was adopted by the Regional Council in November 1982. and is intended to mitigate fish and wildlife losses resulting from the development of hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. One element of the FLW Program is the Water Budget. It calls for additional flows in the Columbia and Snake Rivers between April 15 and June 15 to improve the survival of juvenile salmon and steelhead migrating downstream. The Snake River's contribution to the Water Budget is 20,000 cubic feet per second-months (A volume of water equal to a flow of 20.000 cubic feet per second, 24 hours per day, for a period of a month) over and above water that would normally flow for power production. The water for the Water Budget would come out of Idaho Power Company's (IPCo) Hells Canyon Complex and the Corps of Engineers' (Corps) Dvorshak Reservoir. IPCo's Hells Canyon Complex consists of three dams, Brownlee, Oxbow, and Hells Canyon. Brownlee, at the upstream end, contains a large reservoir and controls flow to the lower dams. IPCo's participation in the Water Budget could affect the level of the Brownlee Reservoir and flows downstream of the Hells Canyon Complex on the Snake River. In light of this, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and IPCo contracted with the consulting firm of CH2!4 Hill to study the potential changes that could occur to the environment. The Environmental Investigation (EI) takes into account concerns that were expressed by the public at a series of public meetings held in the Snake River area during June 1983 and again during September 1984. Existing information and consultations with agencies which have management responsibilities in the project area formed the basis for the data used in the EI. This document summarizes the findings of the final EI in the following areas: (1) natural features, water use, and air and water quality; (2) fish, wildlife, and vegetation; (3) land use, recreation, and aesthetics; and (4) historical and archaeological resources. The EI provides information to be used by IPCo as they assess the effect on the system operations (power and nonpower) resulting from Water Budget participation. BPA and IPCo are continuing to discuss the prospects for IPCo's involvement in implementation of the Water Budget on the Snake River. When IPCo reaches a decision on whether and to what extent it wishes to participate in a Water Budget agreement with BPA, the proposed agreement will be subject to analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). That analysis will consider alternatives, significance of impacts to the environment, and mitigative measures.