Dworshak Reservoir May Be Lowered Again

Sun., Aug. 27, 2000

From Staff

To help settle the issue of when and how to use Dworshak Reservoir water to benefit salmon and steelhead, federal fish managers, along with Oregon and Washington, have asked that it be drawn down an additional 20 feet this summer.

If that happens, cold water releases at the dam on the Clearwater River would continue until Sept. 17, when the reservoir would reach a level of 100 feet below full pool. The request came at Thursday’s meeting of state, federal and tribal salmon managers in Portland.

The Technical Management Team meets weekly to advise federal agencies on fish migration. It will decide on Dworshak water Monday.

In a University of Idaho study, electronic tags were attached to returning adult steelhead and fall chinook to measure both the temperature and depth of the water in which they travel.

Proponents of the study said it could end the annual and acrimonious debate about the best way to utilize the 48-degree water.

Idaho, the Nez Perce Tribe and the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission favor reserving some of the water for September when some juvenile fall chinook are still migrating and adult fall chinook and steelhead are returning.

The downriver states and federal biologists believe the cool water should be used in July and August when the bulk of the juvenile fall chinook are headed seaward and river temperatures are rising.

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