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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spokane River falls to flow all year, all night

Avista Utilities and the Sierra Club have reached an agreement that requires Avista to maintain minimum flows of water over the Upper Falls north and middle channels in Riverfront Park. It also includes provisions for additional spills for lower Spokane Falls below the Monroe Street Dam. The minimum daytime flow is 300 cubic feet of water per second. At night, the minimum flow will be 100 cubic feet of water per second. “Water will be restored to Spokane Falls 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Rachael Paschal Osborn, director of the Sierra Club’s Spokane River Project. “These waterfalls are important from every vantage: Cultural, historic, economic and aesthetic.” The settlement resolved the last issue under appeal in the Washington Department of Ecology’s water quality certification requirements. The certification is part of establishing new licensing conditions for Avista’s hydropower dams on the Spokane River.