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NOAA Fisheries Supports Spill Plan at Dams by Associated Press Seattle Post-Intelligencer - July 6, 2004

PORTLAND -- A crucial federal agency is backing the Bonneville Power Administration's plan to reduce the amount of water spilled over Columbia and Snake river dams this summer.

Water that's spilled bypasses the power generators at dams on the rivers but helps speed juvenile fish along their way downstream.

NOAA Fisheries said reducing the spill should result in no net loss of fish because of other steps proposed by the BPA.

Under the plan, spills will stop a month early at Bonneville and The Dalles dams and six days early at the Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River.

As an offset, the BPA would buy water stored by Idaho Power. That water would be released to help threatened salmon move down stream.

BPA wants to make these changes in order to generate more electricity for sales to California utilities.

A tribal confederation has said it will sue the BPA to prevent it from reducing the spills.