WCD Case Study Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia Basin Project USA Final Report: November 2000 Prepared for the World Commission on Dams (WCD) by: Leonard Ortolano, Stanford University Katherine Kao Cushing, University of California, Berkeley, and Contributing Authors Secretariat of the World Commission on Dams P.O. Box 16002, Vlaeberg, Cape Town 8018, South Africa Phone: 27 21 426 4000 Fax: 27 21 426 0036. Website: http://www.dams.org E-mail: [email protected] Grand Coulee Dam and Columbia Basin Project i Disclaimer This is a working paper of the World Commission on Dams - the report published herein was prepared for the Commission as part of its information gathering activity. The views, conclusions, and recommendations are not intended to represent the views of the Commission. The Commission's views, conclusions, and recommendations will be set forth in the Commission's own report. Please cite this report as follows: Ortolano, L., Kao Cushing, K., and Contributing Authors. 2000. Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia Basin Project, USA, case study report prepared as an input to the World Commission on Dams, Cape Town, www.dams.org The WCD Knowledge Base This report is one component of the World Commission on Dams knowledge base from which the WCD drew to finalize its report “Dams and Development-A New Framework for Decision Making”. The knowledge base consists of seven case studies, two country studies, one briefing paper, seventeen thematic reviews of five sectors, a cross check survey of 125 dams, four regional consultations and nearly 1000 topic-related submissions. All the reports listed below, are available on CD-ROM or can be downloaded from www.dams.org Case Studies (Focal Dams) Country Studies Briefing Paper • Grand Coulee Dam, Columbia River Basin, USA • India • Russia and NIS • Tarbela Dam, Indus River Basin, Pakistan • China countries • Aslantas Dam, Ceyhan River Basin, Turkey • Kariba Dam, Zambezi River, Zambia/Zimbabwe • Tucurui Dam, Tocantins River, Brazil • Pak Mun Dam, Mun-Mekong River Basin, Thailand • Glomma and Laagen Basin, Norway • Pilot Study of the Gariep and Van der Kloof dams- Orange River South Africa Thematic Reviews • TR I.1: Social Impact of Large Dams: Equity and • TR IV.1: Electricity Supply and Demand Distributional Issues Management Options • TR I.2: Dams, Indigenous People and Vulnerable • TR IV.2: Irrigation Options Ethnic Minorities • TR IV.3: Water Supply Options • TR I.3: Displacement, Resettlement, • TR IV.4: Flood Control and Management Options Rehabilitation, Reparation and • TR IV.5: Operation, Monitoring and Development Decommissioning of Dams • • • TR II.1: Dams, Ecosystem Functions and • TR V.1: Planning Approaches Environmental Restoration • TR V.2: Environmental and Social Assessment for • TRII.1: Dams, Ecosystem Functions and Large Dams Environmental Restoration • TR V.3: River Basins – Institutional Frameworks • TR II.2: Dams and Global Change and Management Options • TR V.4: Regulation, Compliance and • TR III.1: Economic, Financial and Distributional Implementation Analysis • TR V.5: Participation, Negotiation and Conflict • TR III.2: International Trends in Project Financing Management: Large Dam Projects • Regional Consultations – Hanoi, Colombo, Sao Paulo and Cairo • Cross-check Survey of 125 dams This is a working paper prepared for the World Commission on Dams as part of its information gathering activities. The views, conclusions, and recommendations contained in the working paper are not to be taken to represent the views of the Commission Grand Coulee Dam and Columbia Basin Project ii Acknowledgements The editors and contributing authors wish to thank federal agency staff from the Bureau of Reclamation, Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration, and BC Hydro for assisting throughout the research process. In particular, we would like to thank Jim Mumford (USBR), Craig Sprankle (USBR), John Moody (USBR), Al Reiners (USBR), Brayton Willis (USACE), Peter Brooks (USACE), Ron Rodewald (BPA), John Hyde (BPA), Anthony White (BPA), Mary Algar (BC Hydro), Daryl Fields (BC Hydro), and Tim Newton (BC Hydro). Additionally, we are grateful to Adeline Fredin and Mike Marchand of the Colville Confederated Tribes and Brian Flett and Tony Atkins of the Spokane Tribe of Indians for their participation in the study. We would also like to thank Sophie Pierre and William Green, representing Canadian First Nations for their contribution to the case study. Thanks are also due to Josh Smienk of the Columbia Basin Trust. Other significant contributors to the report include Kathryn Utter, Mark Frigo, John Pizzimenti, Peter Donatek, and Stan Hayes of Harza Engineering. Finally, we are indebted to individuals representing various stakeholder groups, which included farmers, public utility districts, local government representatives, tribal members, and environmentalists, who allowed us to interview them. This is a working paper prepared for the World Commission on Dams as part of its information gathering activities. The views, conclusions, and recommendations contained in the working paper are not to be taken to represent the views of the Commission Grand Coulee Dam and Columbia Basin Project iii Financial and in-kind Contributors: Financial and in-kind support for the WCD process was received from 54 contributors including governments, international agencies, the private sector, NGOs and various foundations. According to the mandate of the Commission, all funds received were ‘untied’-i.e. these funds were provided with no conditions attached to them. • ABB • Skanska • ADB - Asian Development Bank • SNC Lavalin • AID - Assistance for India's Development • South Africa - Ministry of Water Affairs and • Atlas Copco Forestry • Australia - AusAID • Statkraft • Berne Declaration • Sweden - Sida • British Dam Society • IADB - Inter-American Development Bank • Canada - CIDA • Ireland - Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Carnegie Foundation • IUCN - The World Conservation Union • Coyne et Bellier • Japan - Ministry of Foreign Affairs • C.S. Mott Foundation • KfW - Kredietanstalt für Wiederaufbau • Denmark - Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Lahmeyer International • EDF - Electricité de France • Lotek Engineering • Engevix • Manitoba Hydro • ENRON International • National Wildlife Federation, USA • Finland - Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Norplan • Germany - BMZ: Federal Ministry for Economic • Norway - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Co-operation • Switzerland - SDC • Goldman Environmental Foundation • The Netherlands - Ministry of Foreign Affairs • GTZ - Deutsche Geschellschaft für Technische • The World Bank Zusammenarbeit • Tractebel Engineering • Halcrow Water • United Kingdom - DFID • Harza Engineering • UNEP - United Nations Environment • Hydro Quebec Programme • Novib • United Nations Foundation • David and Lucille Packard Foundation • USA Bureau of Reclamation • Paul Rizzo and Associates • Voith Siemens • People's Republic of China • Worley International • Rockefeller Brothers Foundation • WWF International This is a working paper prepared for the World Commission on Dams as part of its information gathering activities. The views, conclusions, and recommendations contained in the working paper are not to be taken to represent the views of the Commission Grand Coulee Dam and Columbia Basin Project iv Study Team Editors and principal authors: Leonard Ortolano, Stanford University and Katherine Kao Cushing, University of California, Berkeley Additional authors: Nicole T. Carter Stanford University Social impacts and Native Americans William Green CCRITFC Canadian First Nations Carl Gotsch Stanford University Irrigation and hydropower Kris May Stanford University Anadromous fish Tim Newton B.C. Hydro Columbia River Treaty Paul Pitzer Beaverton, Oregon History of decision-making Sophie Pierre Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council Canadian First Nations Josh Smienk Columbia Basin Trust Columbia River Treaty projects Michael Soules University of California, Berkeley Irrigation and hydropower Marilyn Watkins Watkins Historical Research Native Americans Harza Engineering Chicago, Illinois Hydropower and system operations Reviewers William Bennett University of California, Davis Anadromous fish Gordon MacNabb G. MacNabb & Associates Columbia River Treaty projects This is a working paper prepared for the World Commission on Dams as part of its information gathering activities. The views, conclusions, and recommendations contained in the working paper are not to be taken to represent the views of the Commission Grand Coulee Dam and Columbia Basin Project v Executive Summary 1. THE WORLD COMMISSION ON DAMS GLOBAL CASE STUDY PROGRAMME This study is one of eight case studies being undertaken worldwide with a common methodology and approach to inform the World Commission on Dams investigation of the development effectiveness of large dams. This particular case study concerns Grand Coulee Dam (GCD) and the Columbia Basin Project (CBP), which were originally authorised as a single project but today they have come to be known by the two principal parts of the original project. GCD constitutes the dam and powerplant, Lake Roosevelt, and ancillary facilities at the dam. CBP constitutes the project to pump water from Lake Roosevelt to irrigate more than one million acres of land in the semi-arid region in the State of Washington known as the Columbia Plateau. 2. CONTEXT AND SCOPE OF THE GRAND COULEE DAM AND COLUMBIA BASIN PROJECT CASE STUDY During the early 1930s, the US Army Corps of Engineers (“the Corps”) and the Bureau