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Black Rock Dam (Washington) Sierra Club opposes a $4 billion dollar dam now proposed for the Yakima Basin. The dam would take water from the Columbia River at Priest Rapids Dam and pump it uphill (1400 foot elevation gain) into the Yakima Basin. While the dam is being sold as being "salmon friendly," it would take water from the Columbia River in the fall, repay only 16 cents for every tax dollar spent benefits, and could adversely affect the Hanford Reach by accelerating the movement of contaminated groundwater towards the Columbia River. Benefits to Yakima River salmon fisheries are unproven. For more information, read "Black Rock Follies" at www.columbia-institute.org. Of interest, the environmental impact statement is being conducted jointly by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Washington State Department of Ecology. The Bureau is limiting itself to study of dam/reservoir facilities, but the Dep't of Ecology is willing to evaluate "non-structural alternatives" including water conservation, water markets, and other solutions. The agency websites include http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/storage_study/index.html. Comments on the scope of the environmental impact statement will be accepted through Jan. 31, and may be sent to: Bureau of Reclamation, attn: David Kaumheimer, 1917 Marsh Road, Yakima WA 98901-2058, or fax: (509) 454-5650. Questions and comments regarding the EIS process may be emailed to storagestudy@pn.usbr.gov. To join Sierra Club's e-mail list regarding Yakima basin, send an e-mail to yakimasierra@earthlink.net. Spokane River Project (Idaho-Washington) Sierra Club's Upper Columbia River Group is working hard on promoting public interest values in the Spokane River. Current issues include relicensing of dams, water quality cleanup plans (involving sewage, toxics and heavy metals), shoreline planning, and water rights issues. For more information: www.waterplanet.ws, e-mail john@waterplanet.ws, or call 509.456.3376. Moscow-Pullman Aquifer (Idaho-Washington) Sierra Club's Palouse Group is involved in protecting the sole source aquifer that serves the communities of Moscow, Idaho and Pullman, Washington - straddling the Idaho-Washington border. The Grande Ronde Aquifer has been in decline (2-3 feet per year for several decades) and promises a disaster in the making if local entities do not act to conserve water. Sierra Club is involved in litigation to protect the aquifer. For more information, see www.waterplanet.ws. Upper Salmon River (Idaho) Sierra Club opposes legislative proposals to eliminate parts of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, in part because of failure to assert and protect federal reserved water rights that would riverine habitat for the endangered salmon that migrate 900 miles from the Pacific to spawn in Redfish Lake and other headwater streams. For more information, see the Northern Rockies Chapter website: http://idaho.sierraclub.org/. |
