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APRIL 4, 2001

In a move criticized by the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, the Bonneville Power Administration on Tuesday decided not to spill water to help threatened and endangered species of water in the Columbia River basin in Washington and Idaho.

Instead, the BPA will hold back water to generate electicity at the four federal dams it oversees. Various power utilities purchase power from BPA.

But BPA has been forced to buy electricity on the open market from other sources in order to meet the energy needs of its customers. With rates rising, the BPA is quickly exhausting its own supply of funds to do this.

With the action, the BPA says it will be able to generate power and keep costs down for consumers in the Pacific Northwest.

In a related story, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada is asking US Fish and Wildlife to release enough water into the Truckee River to help cui-ui, a sucker fish, spawn.

The tribe is worried the endangered fish will die off. Fish and Wildlife has denied the request for more water, citing drought conditions

Get the Story:
BPA puts salmon-aiding water spills on hold (AP 4/4)
Paiutes, feds clash over water for endangered fish (The Reno Gazette-Journal 4/4)

Relevant Links:
Bonnevile Power Administration - http://www.bpa.gov/indexmain.shtml

Related Stories:
Water spill helps some salmon (3/15)
Wash. tribes push for water conservation (3/15)
Salmon threatened by power crunch (3/8)
Support for dam breaching drops (3/8)
EDITORIAL: Salmon or power? (3/2)
Dam breaching put off in final plan (12/22)