Pact drops release of LPO water
SANDPOINT — A plan to use releases from Lake Pend Oreille to moderate downstream temperatures has been excised from an agreement between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration and the Kalispel Tribe.
The proposal was aimed at cooling water temperatures in the Pend Oreille River below Albeni Falls Dam to aid bull trout. But the proposal raised the ire residents and officials in Bonner County who vociferously opposed the prospect of earlier drawdowns of Lake Pend Oreille.“The issue of potential water releases from Albeni Falls Dam to moderate downstream water temperature to benefit bull trout and other aquatic species has been particularly difficult,” F. Lorraine Bodi, BPA’s vice president of environment, fish and wildlife, said in an Oct. 22 to tribal Chairman Glen Nenema.
As a result, that issue has been lifted from the agreement and replaced with a new strategy for addressing the effects of temperature issues and impacts on bull trout and other aquatic species.It involves hiring a consultant to develop a list of recommended habitat enhancement actions. The tribe, corps and BPA will then collaborate on prioritizing and implementing those actions. BPA is still committing $2 million to fund the actions, although the funding will not exceed $750,000 per fiscal year, according to the amended agreement.
It’s not yet clear what some of those actions would look like, however. “We will be talking to them about what their plans are and involved in that process along the way,” said Molly McCahon, a Bonner County Soil & Water Conservation District official who’s fielding media inquiries on behalf of the Idaho Lakes Commission.
The BPA announced at an Oct. 23 public hearing in Sandpoint that it would not draw down the lake prior to Labor Day in 2015. The prospect of a shortened recreation season on the lake has generated concern over limited access and economic impacts.
The Lakes Commission is seeking funding for an economic impact study to strengthen Idaho’s hand when Lake Pend Oreille’s water is eyed for habitat or power generation issues. McCahon said a study proposal was submitted to the University of Idaho Policy Analysis Group, but it was denied last month. She said the proposal is now being directed to the university’s Social Science Research Unit, which conducts high-quality survey research.
The Lakes Commission is scheduled to discuss lake level issues when it meets on Tuesday, Dec. 16. The board’s business meeting starts at 9 a.m. at Dover City Hall.