The Pacific NorthwestRivers Study

A Cooperative River Resource Assessment by thePacific Northwest's States, Federal Agencies, and Indian Tribes

OverviewStudL

ntroductionThe rivers and streams of the

Pacific Northwest are among ourmost valuable natural resources.Historically, these waters-some350,000 miles of perennial stream­virtually determined the region'ssettlement and land-use patterns. To­day they provide water for recreation,fish habitat, irrigation, municipalwater supply, power generation and a'variety of other beneficial public uses.

Large-scale hydropower projectshave long been dominant features onthe main stem and major tributaries ofthe Columbia River. More recently,attention has shifted to smaller riverswhere a number of small-scalehydropower projects have been pro­posed. This activity traces its originsto the oil crisis of the 1910's andsubsequent federal and state economicincentives aimed at accelerating thedevelopment of domestic energy sup­plies. In 1978, the Federal EnergyRegulatory Commission was process­ing fewer than 20 hydropower permitapplications nationwide. Since then,nearly 6,000 applications have beenflied. One quarter of theseapplications-about 1,600--have beenflied on sites in the four-state regionof Idaho, Montana, Oregon andWashington.

Hydropower is recognized as aclean, renewable and reliable sourceof energy for the region. However, therecent surge in small-scale hydrodevelopment activity has created con­cern that new hydropower developmentmay impact existing river values.Within the Pacific Northwest, peoplehave voiced particular concerns aboutpotential impacts on critical fish

habitat. Concerns have also been ex­pressed regarding conflicts with otherenvironmental values, includingwildlife, natural features, culturalfeatures, and recreation.

To ensure a secure energy futurefor the region, both the NorthwestPower Planning Council and theBonneville Power Administration needaccurate estimates of the amount ofenergy that can be produced from allsources, including hydropower. Thecurrent awareness of the potential forconflict between new hydro develop­ment and existing river values hascreated uncertainty regarding thefuture of hydro development.

In order to provide accurate energyprojections, the Council, with activecooperation from BPA, began aregionwide Hydro Assessment Studyin August 1984. In starting this effort,the Council and BPA were following

guidelines set forth in the PacificNorthwest Electric Power Planningand Conservation Act of 1980, whichdirects these entities to ensure ade­quate consideration for environmentalconcerns in their energy planning ac­tivities, and more specifically to "pro­tect, mitigate, and enhance" fish andwildlife resources.

The Hydro Assessment Study in­cludes four distinct components: thedevelopment of a hydropower-site database; an assessment of anadromousfish; an assessment of Indian culturalsites; and an assessment of en­vironmental values. As the study com­ponent with the broadest range ofresource and geographic coverage, theenvironmental-values assessment wasorganized into a distinct study called

the Pacific Northwest Rivers Study.BPA is coordinating and funding theRivers Study. The Council is coor­dinating other aspects of the HydroAssessment Study.

The Pacific Northwest Rivers Studyis an intensive effort to evaluate anddocument the relative environmentalsignificance of the region's rivers andstreams. Rivers Study concepts andprocedures were developed by BPA inconsultation with the region's resourcemanagement agencies and Indiantribes. The study was designed to becompatible with other aspects of theHydro Assessment Study.

Gools and Objectives:rhe goal of the overall HydroAssessment Study is to provide

a basis for orderly hydropowerdevelopment, consistent with protec­tion of critical fish and wildlife habitatand conservation of other valuableriver resources. As a major compo­nent of the Hydro Assessment Study,the Pacific Northwest Rivers Studywill provide hydropower planners withcomprehensive information about en­vironmental values of rivers andstreams in the Pacific Northwest.Specifically, the Rivers Study will:

• Determine the environmentalsignificance of river segments andsystems based on resident fish,wildlife, natural features, culturalfeatures, and recreation;• Identify existing institutional con­straints that might influencehydropower development;• Develop an understanding amongstate resource management agencies,Indian tribes, federal land managementagencies, and the interested publicregarding study fmdings; and• Produce an information base that isconsistent, verifiable, ongoing, andavailable to users throughout theregion.

ProcessDBoth BPA and theCouncil will consider the

results of the Rivers Study in theirenergy-planning activities. Theseinclude:Energy Supply Forecasting.Both the Council and BPA produceforecasts of regional energy supply.Rivers Study results will increase theaccuracy of regional hydropower sup­ply forecasts.Protected Areas.The Rivers Study will provide infor­mation on the region's imponant resi­dent fish and wildlife habitat. Whencombined with the results of the otherelements of the Hydro AssessmentStudy, this information will enable theCouncil to designate protected areas(areas where hydropower developmentis deemed inappropriate). This is re­quired by the Council's Fish &Wildlife Program.Hydropower Site Ranking.The Nnrthwest Conservation and Elec­tric Power Plan provides for the Coun­cil to rank hydropower sites based onfish and wildlife concerns. An interimsite ranking was completed by theregion's resource agencies in 1985; theresults of the Rivers Study will beused to refine that ranking.

Beyond these specific uses, theRivers Study will produce a consis­tent, interagency information basewhich should help to promoteunderstanding among hydropowerdevelopers, environmental organiza­tions, management authorities, and thegeneral public. While participatingagencies and management authoritiesare not obligated to use study results,it is anticipated that the study infor­mation will be used by these entitiesin their effons to make decisionsregarding hydropower facility sitingand development.

S ludy ComponentsThe Rivers Study will evaluate

the region's rivers for the follow­ing resource values:Resident FISh

"Resident fish" refers to game andnongame fish species that reside infresh water throughout their lives. Theassessment focuses on habitat, speciescomposition, and public use.Wildlife

"Wildlife" refers to game andnongame animals and birds that inhabitriver and stream corridors. Habitattypes, species composition, and publicuse are the major assessment criteria.Natural Features

"Natural features" refers to river­related endangered or threatened plants,unique plant communities, and geolo­gic and hydrologic features. Assess­ment criteria include scarcity, scientificvalue, recreational use, and vulnerability.Cultural Features

"Cultural features" includes ar­cheological, architectural, and otherhistoric sites locatedwithin river corridors.These resources areevaluated in termsof the criteria for theNational Register ofHistoric Places.Recreation

"Recreation"refers to leisure activities thatare directly or indirectly depend­ent upon flowing waters. Boatingand water activities are emphasized.Institutional Constraints

"Institutional constraints" includeslaws, policies, plans, ordinances, andother administrative mechanisms thatprohibit, limit, or otherwise imposeconditions on hydropower development.Federal constraints are explicitly iden­tified. State, local and Indian tribalconstraints are also identified.

StudQ oncept

Resource inventoty andcomparative resource assessment

are the fundamental components of theRivers Study process. Conceptually, thestudy is based on the recognition thatperceptions about the relativesignificance of a river's environmentalfeatures will playa major role indetermining whether a given develop­ment project succeeds or fails. Whilethe decision to develop or prohibitspecific hydropower facilities must, ofcourse, consider project design andoperation. a resource assessment canidentify relevant environmental con­siderations and indicate the potentialfor adverse impact and use conflict.

The Rivers Study will produce acomprehensive and consistent productthat will have utility as a strategicplanning tool. Information can serve as, J' an initial environmental scop-\! ing for developers and

regulators by identifying areaswhere minimal adverse en­

vironmental impact can

be anticipated-and thus, where de­velopment might be most appropriate.

The scope of the study is restrictedto inventoty and assessment. Thestudy will not set policy or make site­specific development decisions. It isnot the intent of the project to dilutethe existing management respon­sibilities of participating agencies andIndian tribes, nor to eliminate theneed to consult with these agenciesand Indian tribes in accordance withexisting laws and regulations duringthe hydropower licensing process.

OffuaniZAJione Pacific Northwest Rivers

Study utilizes existing govern­mental programs and structures. Itdivides responsibilities among par­ticipants, emphasizes the role ofresource expens, and provides forpublic input and review.

Separate yet coordinatedassessments are being conductedwithin the geographic boundaries ofeach of the four Northwest states.State governors have appointed coor­dinators with responsibility foroverseeing the project. In turn, coor­dinators have designated a resourceexpe" to oversee the assessmentwithin each distinct resource category.While state agencies are providingproject coordination, the actual assess­ment is a joint undenaking byresource specialists from federal andstate resource agencies and theregion's Indian tribes. Emphasis isplaced on cooperative effons, thoughthere is no requirement that a consen­sus be reached regarding findings.Comments from the interested publicare also welcomed.

M ethodsThe assessment model usedin this study was initially

developed by the National Park Ser­vice and the State of Maine for use inthe Maine Rivers Study. The methodstresses objectivity and the develop­ment of verifiable results. To accom­plish this, all river resources are evalu­ated without regard to specific develop­ment proposals. Extensive field workis not necessary; evaluation relies onexisting information, expert evaluation,and input from users and the public.

The ultimate result is the deter­mination of the relative significance ofeach of the region's river and streamsegments based on environmentalvalues. Segments are not rankednumerically. Rather, they are placedinto one of four value classes: "Out­standing," "Substantial," "Moderate,"or "Limited." (Two additional classes,"Resource Not Present" and"Unknown or Unclassified" areavailable for use.)

Fundamental to the study method isthe emphasis on separate resourceassessments for each of a number ofpredetermined resource categories. Foreach category, specialists deviseassessment guidelines and conduct theassessment process.

While maintaining their status asseparate study components, allcategory evaluations are coordinated toachieve consistent results. All use thesame maps and produce compatiblegraphic and tabular information. Find­ings are verified through participantand public review. After review, find­ings from all resource categories willbe compiled into a comprehensive in­formation system. A detailed discus­sion of study methods and evaluationcriteria appears in the AssessmentGuidelines document, available fromBPA and state coordinators.

~roducts

Separate products will be pro­duced for each resource category

within each state. These include adetailed explanation of the methodemployed to conduct the assessment,including a list of information sourcesand participants; a tabular listing ofstudy findings and the informationused to derive findings; a series ofl:lOO,OOO-scale maps which graphical-

Iy depict study findings; and1:500,OOO-scaie summary maps.

The information will be incor­porated into a computerized datamanagement system, which will pro­vide the capability for update,analysis, and data transfer. Maps andresource information will be madeavailable to participants and other in­terested parties.

PrutkiptutnState of IdahoState of MonlaDa

State of OregonState of WasbiDgtonNorthwest Indian TribesUSn,.. Forest Service

USDI Bumw of Land ManagementUSDI Fish lIIId W"tldIite Service

USDI National Park ServiceNortItwest IW'er PIaDDiDg Council

IIonneville ~r AdminisIraIion

For further information, contact:

Carl Nellis, Idaho State Coordinator600 South Walnut, Box 25Boise, Idaho 837lJ1(208) 334-3180

Patrick Graham, Montana StateCoordinator1420 East Sixth AvenueHelena, Montana 59620(406) 444-2449

Gary Waltenbaugh, Oregon StateCoordinator102 Labor and Industries BuildingSalem, Oregon 97310(503) 378-83Z7

Steven Zubalik, Washington StateCoordinator400 East UnionOlympia, Washington 98504(206) 754.{1728

Tom Pansky, Regional CoordinatorDrew Parkin, Project ConsultantBonneville Power AdministrationP.O. Box 3621 - PRPortland, Oregon 97208(503) 230-3969