THE COLUMBIA RIVER SYSTEM INSIDE STORY THE COLUMBIA RIVER SYSTEM INSIDE STORY SECOND EDITION FEDERAL COLUMBIA RIVER POWER SYSTEM BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS Published April 2001 This publication is an updated version of the original prepared for the System Operation Review, a joint project of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Bonneville Power Administration. Photo Credits: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bonneville Power Administration Northwest Power Planning Council Philip W. Thor Robin Cody If you have comments or questions, please contact: Bonneville Power Administration U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NWD U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 1-503-230-3000 1-503-808-3710 1-208-378-5021 P.O. Box 3621 P.O. Box 2870 1150 N. Curtis Road, Suite 100 Portland, Oregon 97208-3621 Portland, Oregon 97208-2870 Boise, Idaho 83706-1234 Printed on recycled paper TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction . 2 II. The Columbia River System . 4 A. The Basin . 4 B. Uses of the River System . 6 C. The Dams and Water Projects . 9 D. The Coordinated Columbia River System . 16 III. The Agencies and the Operating Agreements . 18 A. The Forecasters . 18 B. Project Owner/ Operators & Affiliated Agencies. 18 C. The NMFS Regional Implementation Forum. 20 D. The Operating Agreements and Guidelines. 21 IV. System Operation – The Big Picture . 26 A. Hydrology of the Basin . 26 B. The Drivers of System Operations . 27 C. Overview of System Operations . 27 V. Multiple Uses of the System . 32 A. Flood Control . 33 B. Fish and Wildlife . 38 C. Power Generation . 45 D. Navigation . 52 E. Irrigation. 53 F. Recreation. 55 G. Water Supply and Water Quality . 55 H. Cultural Resources . 56 VI. System Planning & Operations . 58 A. Current Operating Strategy . 58 B. The PNCA Planning Process . 60 C. In-Season Management for Salmon . 63 D. Real-Time Operations . 64 E. System Operation: In Action. 66 VII. Conclusion . 70 Appendix A Pacific Northwest Hydro Projects . 72 Appendix B Glossary. 74 Appendix C Acronyms and Abbreviations . 76 Appendix D Reference List . 78 I. Introduction Celilo Falls, shown here, was a Native American fishing site before The Dalles Dam was built. The Federal government is working to encourage more tribal involvement in planning and operating decisions. The Columbia River is projects throughout the system. Through cooperative one of the greatest natural region are fed by the waters efforts, floods that periodi- resources in the western of the Columbia Basin river cally threaten development United States. The river and near the river can be its tributaries touch the lives controlled. of nearly every resident of This publication presents the Pacific Northwest—from a detailed explanation of fostering world-famous the planning and operation Pacific salmon to supplying of the multiple-use dams clean natural fuel for 50 to and reservoirs of the 65 percent of the region’s Columbia River system. It electrical generation. describes the river system, Since early in the 20th those who operate and use century, public and private it, the agreements and agencies have labored to Federal water projects, including policies that guide system capture the benefits of this Lower Granite Dam on the Snake operations, and annual River, were constructed on the dynamic river. Today, dozens planning for multiple-use Columbia River and its tributaries of major water resource from the 1930s to the mid-1970s. operation. A glossary 2 and a reference list can be (USFWS) to recover several found at the end of this stocks of Snake River salmon document. and the Kootenai River The Inside Story was white sturgeon. The SOR originally written for the provided the environmental participants in a multiyear analysis of the ESA strategy environmental study of river and led to renewal of An operating operations called the the Pacific Northwest strategy was Columbia River System Coordination Agreement Operation Review (SOR). (PNCA) and other developed that The SOR was conducted agreements related to the supports recovery jointly by the U.S. Army Corps Columbia River Treaty of Engineers (Corps), the (Treaty) between the of Columbia Basin U.S. Bureau of Reclamation United States and Canada. fish listed under (Reclamation), and the These complex contracts Bonneville Power Administra- are explained in the the Endangered tion (BPA). In 1995, as a following pages. Species Act, as result of actions under the Electricity generated on the river If you have questions Endangered Species Act powers homes and businesses or comments about the well as other, (ESA) and the SOR, the three throughout the Northwest. Columbia River system, non-listed species. Federal agencies formally we invite you to contact adopted an operating The strategy incorporated one of the agencies at the strategy for the river system the recommendations of the addresses and phone that supports the recovery National Marine Fisheries numbers on the inside of Columbia River Basin Service (NMFS) and the U.S. front cover of this fish listed under the ESA. Fish and Wildlife Service publication. The river and its reservoirs provide countless recreational opportunities for residents and visitors to the Northwest. 3 A. The Basin and Utah. In addition, the empties into the Pacific Columbia River Basin Ocean near Astoria, Oregon. The Columbia River is drainage covers 102,300 The Rocky Mountains the predominant river in the square kilometers (39,500 to the east and north, the Pacific Northwest. It is the square miles) in British Cascade Range on the west, 15th longest river in North Columbia, Canada. and the Great Basin to the II. America and carries the sixth The Columbia River south are the principal largest volume of runoff. originates at Columbia Lake boundaries of the Columbia The Columbia The river and its tributaries on the west slope of British River Basin. Within the River System are the region’s dominant Columbia’s Rocky Mountains. drainage, there are numerous water system. The system It flows from Canada into the sub-basins formed by drains 567,000 square kilo- United States and eventually tributaries of the mainstem meters (219,000 square miles) becomes the border between river. The major tributaries in seven western U.S. states: Oregon and Washington. in the United States are the Washington, Oregon, Idaho, The river is 1,954 kilometers Kootenai, the Flathead/ Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, (1,214 miles) long, and it Pend Oreille, the Snake, and the Willamette. The Columbia River Uses The Highs and Lows of Streamflows. On average, about 25 percent of the Columbia River flow comes from Canada. Before any mainstem dams were built, natural instantaneous streamflow at the border ranged from as low as 396 cubic meters per second (m3/s) (14,000 cubic feet per second (cfs)) to as high as 15,575 m3/s (550,000 cfs). This enormous variation in flow is seasonal. Most of the annual precipi- tation in the Columbia River Basin occurs in the winter with the largest share falling in the mountains as snow. The moisture that is stored during the winter in the snowpack is released in the spring and early A. Flood Control D. Power G. Navigation B. Recreation E. Fish Migration H. Water Supply summer, and about 60 C. Irrigation F. Fish & Wildlife Habitat I. Cultural Resources percent of the natural runoff in the basin occurs The people of the Northwest use the Columbia River in nine primary ways. The water projects make up a multiple-use system. during May, June, and July. 4 The Columbia River Basin Major Federal Dams Today, dozens - COLUMBIA RIVER AND MAJOR TRIBUTARIES - STATE BORDERS of major water BRITISH COLUMBIA - COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN - MAJOR FEDERAL DAMS resource projects throughout the Hungry Horse region are fed BRITISH COLUMBIA Libby Albeni Falls Chief Joseph by the Columbia Grand Coulee Lower Granite River. Dworshak Little Goose Lower M Ice Harbor Runoff: That part of precipitation, Co ia River lumb onum snowmelt, or irrigation water that runs M John Day cNary ental PACIFC The Dalles off the land into streams or other Bonneville MONTANA OCEAN surface water. OREGON IDAHO S n ak Streamflow: Streamflow refers to the rate e Riv er and volume of water flowing in various sections of the river. Streamflow records are compiled from measurements taken at particular points on the river, such as The Dalles, Oregon. The Columbia drains 258,500 square miles in the United States and Canada. The Columbia River has acre-feet) annually. Southwest. Federal agencies an average annual runoff at For operational purposes, have built 29 major dams Major Dams: Large hydro-electric projects developed by Federal agencies within its mouth of about 244 billion runoff is usually measured on the river and its the Pacific Northwest. Twenty-nine major dams are in the Columbia River cubic meters (198 million at The Dalles, Oregon. Here tributaries. Dozens of Basin. Two dams are in the Rogue River acre-feet) (average year- the annual average is 165 larger non-Federal projects, Basin. A total of 31 dams comprise the Federal Power System. round flows of 7,787 m3/s billion cubic meters (134 and hundreds of small Acre-feet: A common measure of the (275,000 cfs)), making it million acre-feet) (average impoundments, have been volume of water in the river system. It is 3 the amount of water it takes to cover second only to the Missouri- year-round flows of 5,038 m /s developed as well. These one acre to a depth of one foot. Mississippi River system in (177,900 cfs)). dams provide flood control, the United States in runoff. Beginning in 1909, the irrigation, navigation, and The Canadian portion of the Columbia River has been recreation benefits.