Economy Drops With Reservoir Corps’ Effort To Help Salmon May Face New Legal Fight

Two weeks after the Army Corps of Engineers increased the flow from Dworshak Reservoir to help salmon migrate, the local economy is sinking with the lake level.

Dworshak Reservoir is 24 feet below full.

The National Marine Fisheries Services biological opinion calls for drawing it to as much as 80 feet below full pool.

The Orofino Chamber of Commerce claims that in the last three years, drawdowns have cost area businesses about $15 million from lost recreation.

“On the whole, it is frustrating because the town has got into the tourism business and the drawdown started at the same time,” said Jerry Carlson, who manages Becky’s Burgers.

“For a long time, it’s been a logging town, too. They are realizing logging is dying out and they must replace it with something. Government is the only thing left.”

The Chamber of Commerce and its allies last week failed to convince U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge to issue a restraining order halting the drawdown.

They are considering whether to appeal his decision.

Republican Gov. Phil Batt has asked Attorney General Al Lance whether there are any remaining grounds for a legal challenge to halt the spill, said Batt spokeswoman Amy Kleiner.

“If we file a lawsuit, we want to file one that will be taken seriously,” she said Friday.

“Increasing flows of water to speed salmon to the ocean is a theory and they are taking money from Orofino,” Ryan McGill, of Orofino, said.

“It wouldn’t be so bad if we knew it worked, but it hasn’t been proven yet.”