News Shorts

May 4, 2005

PIKEMINNOW SEASON OPENS

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Fishing in the Columbia and Snake rivers this spring and summer could be very rewarding for those who pursue the northern pikeminnow. The Northern Pikeminnow Management Program will pay $4 to $8 for each of the salmon-eating predators delivered to stations along the Columbia and Snake rivers. Specially tagged pikeminnow will be worth $500 each. The 2005 sport reward program has opened on the lower Columbia River. It will open May 16 upstream into the Snake River.

The object of the program is to reduce the average size of the pikeminnow in the rivers. Smaller fish eat fewer salmon smolts, allowing more smolts to migrate to the sea. Since 1990, nearly 2.4 million northern pikeminnow have been removed from the Columbia and Snake rivers as a result of the sport reward program. In 2004, nearly 268,000 pikeminnow were caught.

Program information is available from the Washington Sport Reward Hot Line at (800) 858-9015, and on the Internet.

BPA ASKS FERC FOR GRID WEST DECISION

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BPA has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue a declaratory judgment on key provisions of Grid West, one of two competing efforts under way to improve the management and operation of the Northwest's transmission grid.

BPA and the utilities asked for a stipulation that Grid West need not be a regional transmission organization (RTO) under FERC Order 2000. As proposed, Grid West would be filed under FERC Order 888 – the order directing utilities owning transmission to provide open, non-discriminatory transmission access within their service areas.

Allen Burns, BPA's executive vice president for Industry Restructuring, said Northwest publicly owned utilities are concerned about bringing the region's grid under FERC jurisdiction.

"FERC has shown an increasing appreciation for the unique needs and characteristics of the Northwest power system," Burns said. "Grid West would preserve many existing contractual arrangements, minimize cost shifts and preserve BPA's nonjurisdictional status. We're now asking FERC to tell us whether it will accept key features of Grid West."

Meanwhile, BPA is also participating in the Transmission Improvement Group (TIG), a similar and parallel effort designed specifically to meet the desired objectives without forming a new, FERC-regulated entity. TIG is working to complete its proposal by Aug. 1. It seeks to avoid FERC jurisdiction by arranging cooperative agreements among existing transmission owners.

A decision on which approach is best comes in September when the seating of an independent Grid West developmental board is scheduled.

Work is also continuing to complete a cost estimate for the Grid West operations and a preliminary assessment of the benefits, which will also be key factors to consider.

Idaho Power Company and PacifiCorp, neither involved with TIG but participating in Grid West development, joined BPA in the petition to FERC.

NEW FISH SCREENS CELEBRATED

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BPA joined the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), state and local partners April 29 to mark the completion of a project designed to enhance water deliveries and improve natural stream flow for endangered fish in the Methow River Valley, near Twisp, Wash. The new fish screen facility is part of the Methow Valley Irrigation District Rehabilitation Project that has upgraded 16 antiquated fish screens in irrigation canals.

The project will help meet the migration needs of Upper Columbia spring chinook, Upper Columbia steelhead and bull trout, and directly addresses endangered species efforts under the 2004 Federal Columbia River Power System BiOp. Two more phases of canal renovation are still ahead.

News Shorts is edited by Bill Murlin 503-230-5141.
For more information, please contact;
Ed Mosey at 503-230-5359 or
Mike Hansen at 503-230-4328