Frequently Requested Information

General BPA Information

• Library of Congress: Thousands of agency records such as the Federal Register, House bills, historical photographs and audio recordings of songs Woody Guthrie wrote for BPA. 

• Columbia River Treaty:  Information about the Columbia River Treaty, an international agreement between Canada and the United States for the cooperative development and operation of the water resources of the Columbia River Basin for the benefit of both countries. Additional information is available here.

• Audits: Final reports and audits of BPA and other agency programs can be found at: the Department of Energy Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office.

• BPA fact sheets

• Records of Decision

• Maps

• Rate Cases: Information detailing how BPA establishes rates for power and transmission services

Land and Right of Ways Resources

• If you have questions about land records, surveys, rights of way, easements, or anything related to using BPA land for personal business, contact the Realty Hotline at 1-800-836-6619 or realtyinfo@bpa.gov.

• Additional information is available at the Land & Right of Ways Resource Library Resource Library.
  

• Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program:  Interactive site that shows BPA’s implementation of the Columbia Basin Fish & Wildlife Program, which was developed by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council pursuant to the Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act of 1980.

• Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement (CRSO EIS): The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and BPA have signed a Record of Decision.

• Environmental Analysis Information: Data regarding BPA's environmental analyses of the potential effects of proposed actions on air, water, wetlands, endangered species, the social environment, and economies:
  
  • Categorical exclusions
  • Project review documents - Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements

• Publicly-available information, related to BPA's operations, that is maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE):
  
  • Detailed Total Dissolved Gas (TDG) Reports: Information about TDG at dams and reservoirs in the Columbia River Basin. Includes hourly spill data for each dam.
  • Daily Spill Reports: Information about daily spill at dams and reservoirs in the Columbia River Basin.
  • Fish Passage Plans: Developed by USACE in coordination with BPA and regional federal, state, and tribal fish agencies, these plans describe year-round operations and maintenance actions to provide fish passage and protection at the eight Corps projects on the lower Columbia and Snake rivers. Plans dating from 2005 include the federal court-ordered spill requirements.

• Northwest River Forecast Center: A National Weather Service center that specializes in flood and water resource forecasting, river modeling, and hydrologic system development. Include daily forecasts of temperature and precipitation and simulations of soil, snow, and reservoir conditions.

• StreamNet: Data and information from the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program mitigation efforts, with assessments and reports required under the Endangered Species Act. 

• Bird Research Northwest: A partnership between Oregon State University, Real Time Research, and the U.S. Geological Survey that studies fish-eating waterbirds and their role in the Pacific Northwest ecosystem, with a focus on cormorants, gulls, pelicans and terns.

Unclaimed Money from the Government

BPA often receives inquiries regarding unclaimed money such as, but not limited to:

• Uncashed and/or unclaimed checks
• Unrefunded cash escrows and/or cash deposits
• Tax overpayments and/or unclaimed tax refunds

Publicly Available Software

Below is a list of publicly-available software. You may click a link to save the selected software to your device:

• Advanced Tower Analysis and Design System: This program is designed to provide a structural engineer with a set of tools for analysis and design of lattice transmission structures.
• Anypole: This program is used to calculate corona onset for positive or negative conductors.
• Corona and Field Effects: This program calculates AN, RI, TVI, ozone, corona loss, electric field, space potential, magnetic field, and conductor surface gradient for either ac or dc lines.
  • Corona and Field Effects - Microsoft Excel Version
• Electromagnetic Transients Program (EMTP): This program is used by power systems engineers to analyze electromagnetic transients and associated insulation issues.