Winchester Dam Needs Repair Funds

A leak at Winchester Dam may drain a portion of the state’s budget if the Idaho Department of Fish and Game has its way.

The department is asking the Legislature for a one-time $250,000 appropriation from the general tax fund to fix the nagging leak.

Receiving general tax funds would be a precedent for the department, which relies on the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and federal money to finance its programs.

Because Winchester Lake benefits the public at large as a recreation destination and contributes to the local economy, the cash-strapped department is asking taxpayers to pony up for the repairs.

“There is an understanding that fishing equals tourism, equals money,” said Ed Schriever, a fisheries biologist at Lewiston.

The lake is an old mill pond that sits on land owned by the department and is managed as Winchester State Park. It is a popular destination for anglers and campers that is used for up to 45,000 hours of fishing each year.

The department stocks the lake with some $14,000 worth of rainbow trout and, according to a 1995 study, the popular fishery contributes about $382,000 to the local economy each year.

Since anglers pay for the stocking program, the department hopes the Legislature will help with repair costs. The dam has leaked for years, but the volume of outflow has increased recently.

Engineers say they can fix the dam by partially lowering the lake, then grouting an old outflow pipe they believe is responsible for the leak.

The funding request has been forwarded to Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, but his spokesman is unwilling to say if it will be sent on to the Legislature. The fate of the petition will be unveiled when Kempthorne makes his budget address today.

Don’t duck these fund-raisers

Wetlands and waterfowl will be getting a boost in the next few weeks by Ducks Unlimited fund-raising events. It’s not too late to purchase tickets for the following events:

Spokane Downtown Chapter, Thursday at the Bayou Restaurant. Contact Adam Holmes, 325-8102.

Pullman Chapter, Feb. 5 at Shermer’s Restaurant. Contact Victor DeMacon, (509) 332-3243.

This sidebar appeared with the story: MEETING Snake salmon

A meeting on issues surrounding endangered Snake River salmon and steelhead will be Saturday, from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at SIRTI Auditorium, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. (off Trent).

The program, sponsored by Washington and Idaho Wildlife Federations, seeks to address the option of breaching Snake River Dams for the benefit of endangered fish as an advance to the hearings sponsored by the federal government Feb. 8 at the downtown Doubletree Hotel.

Info: 324-2305.