WRIA 62 WMP 032305 - Washington State Department of Ecology

March, 2005 -48- 023-1289-003.3040
WRIA 62 WMP 032305
• Maximum hourly discharge change of 5,000 cfs.
• Maximum change in average daily discharge of 10,000 cfs.
As a component of the operation of Albeni Falls Dam there is an agreement between the State of
Idaho (represented by Idaho Department of Fish and Game) and the U.S. Government (represented by
the ACOE) dated July 5, 1957 which provides for the loss or damage to wildlife resources. The
agreement recognizes that unrestricted operation of Albeni Falls Dam would be detrimental to
kokanee fry and states that the U.S Government will operate the project to avoid (where possible and
maintaining consistency with the objective of power production) imposing operations which are
unnecessarily detrimental to kokanee fry (ACOE, 2002). In response to public concern that the fall
drawdown and pool fluctuations between November and March detrimentally impact kokanee
spawning and egg incubation, Lake Pend Oreille drawdown and winter pool elevations were modified
in 1967 and in the 1980s. These modifications resulted in the completion of the fall lake drawdown
between November 15 and 20 to accommodate early spawning kokanee and establishment of a
mandatory minimum control elevation from December 1 through March 31 to prevent dewatering of
kokanee eggs during their incubation.
Lake drawdown tests to investigate the effect of higher winter lake levels on kokanee spawning were
proposed in 1995 by Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDF&G) and supported by the Northwest
Power and Conservation Council (NPCC). In a letter dated December 9, 1995 to the NPCC, the
ACOE indicated its intent to implement the test starting in the winter of 1996. The test schedule
included three years of drawdown to 2,055 ft amsl and two years of drawdown to lower levels. The
first three test seasons (with Lake elevations held at 2,055 ft amsl) were completed in the winters of
1996/1997, 1997/1998 and 1998/1999. However, the final two years, when the lake was originally
scheduled to be held at 2,051 ft amsl over the winter, was challenged in court by the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) due to concerns about the
impact on bull trout in Lake Pend Oreille due to a possible collapse of the kokanee food source and
the water supply for chum salmon in the lower Columbia. As a result of court actions and settlement
agreements involving the ACOE, NMFS, USFWS, the Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club and the Pend
Oreille PUD, the lake was held at a compromise level of 2,053 ft amsl during the winters of
1999/2000 and 2000/2001 and at 2,051 ft amsl during the winter of 2001/2002. Following this, the
lake has been held at 2,055 ft amsl and 2,051 ft amsl over the winters of 2002/2003 and 2003/2004,
respectively.
The ACOE acknowledges that Lake Pend Oreille drawdown is the major concern of those who
believe that it has caused the decline in kokanee populations and has affected recreation, fishing,
aesthetics, access and property values around the Lake (ACOE, 2002). The ACOE has disputed these
claims on the basis that other factors (e.g., unrestricted sports and commercial fishing, imported
mysid shrimp that compete with kokanee for food, reduced Lake water quality, upstream dam
operations and predation on juvenile kokanee) may have contributed to the present problem. The
ACOE also acknowledges the problems associated with managing the elevation of Lake Pend Oreille
for competing needs and interests. The ACOE agrees that higher winter lake elevations have
increased the outflow of water from Lake Pend Oreille earlier than normal in the spring. This
increased earlier spring flow has coincided with the WRIA 62 runoff and has caused spring flooding
of low lying land between Albeni Falls Dam and Box Canyon Dam. The ACOE is currently
regulating Albeni Falls Dam in conformance with the original Congressional authorization and
acknowledges that a major change in Lake drawdown may require Federal action.