WRIA 62 WMP 032305 - Washington State Department of Ecology

March, 2005 -85- 023-1289-003.3040
WRIA 62 WMP 032305
• Agency commitment;
• Expanded networking; and,
• Building trust in relationships.
8. Improve public involvement through:
• Increasing dialogue among groups working on different issues;
• Increasing public awareness of water quality threats and basin history; and,
• Communicating benefits.
5.1.9 Transboundary Gas Group
The Transboundary Gas Group (TGG) is a voluntary coalition of agencies, tribes and industry from
Canada and the US that formed in 1998 to address system-wide dissolved gas concentrations
throughout the Columbia River basin. The TGG was formed to help coordinate dissolved gas
planning activities between Canada, the United States, tribes, first nations, and other organizations.
The group’s goal is, "to reduce dissolved gas, on a system-wide basis, in the most cost-effective
manner possible, for all aquatic life."
The Transboundary Gas Group meets twice each year. The latest developments in dissolved gas
monitoring, abatement methods, modeling, and biological effects are discussed at the meetings. The
group has also offered opinions and guidance regarding dissolved gas questions that have arisen in the
Pacific Northwest. Further information about the group can be found at:
www.nwr.noaa.gov/1hydrop/hydroweb/tgg .html.
5.1.10 Columbia River Treaty
The Columbia River Treaty was signed between Canada and the United States on January 17, 1961.
The Treaty relates to the management and use of the Columbia River for hydroelectric power
generation, flood control, storage, and diversion. The treaty directed Canada to construct three dams
within Canada (Mica, Keeleyside and Duncan Dams) in order to provide for over 15 million acre feet
of storage. The treaty also directed the construction of Libby Dam in the United States, whose
reservoir extends into Canada. The construction of these storage dams increased flood protection and
provided additional storage and power generation capacity. In return for providing storage on the
Columbia River, the United States agreed to provide Canada with hydroelectric power generated on
the River (or payment for that power), as well as payment for the flood control benefits provided by
the Canadian dams.
5.1.11 VARQ
Variable Discharge, or “VARQ” is the name given to the Army Corps of Engineers alternative flood
control operation plan being used at the Hungry Horse reservoir in the Pend Oreille Clark Fork
Drainage. VARQ was designed in response to a National Marine Fisheries Service and US Fish and
Wildlife Service Biological Opinion for the Federal Columbia River Power System. VARQ helps
assure refill of the reservoir, and thus helps with flow augmentation for sturgeon, bull trout, salmon
and steelhead stocks listed as threatened or endangered. In addition, VARQ moves some flood