the film forum library tutorial contact

Court-Ordered Spill in Progress by Staff BPA Journal, July 2005

Summer spill at four lower Snake River dams began June 20 in accordance with an order from District Judge James Redden. The judge ordered additional summer spill at federal dams in granting an injunction requested by tribes and environmental groups. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco turned down an appeal of that order.

The spill injunction applies only to 2005 hydro operations. Under the order, the Corps of Engineers is spilling additional water at Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower Monumental and Ice Harbor dams on the lower Snake River from June 20 through Aug. 31. Beginning July 1, the Corps is adding round-the-clock spill at McNary Dam on the Columbia River through August.

The federal agencies - BPA, the Corps, Bureau of Reclamation and NOAA fisheries - had expressed concern about the additional spill regime because it leaves a large number of fish in the rivers to migrate under adverse conditions in a low water year.