October 2005 Issue

Council Approves Fish and Wildlife Project Selection Process

Council members approved a project selection process for fiscal years 2007 through 2009. With the approval of the selection process and guidance document, the Council has released its solicitation for proposals for fish and wildlife projects in the Columbia River Basin.

Council Asks ISAB to Review the Effects of Court-Ordered 2005 Spill Operations 

Council members agreed to ask the Independent Scientific Advisory Board to review the biological effectiveness of spill operations in 2005. The court-ordered spill at federal dams along the Columbia and Snake rivers offers an opportunity to evaluate the benefits of spill and if those benefits could be achieved more effectively and at less cost to the region. The NOAA Fisheries and Columbia River Inter-tribal Fish Commission are also developing additional questions for consideration by the ISAB. The board is expected to issue a memo describing their review strategy on October 25.

Update on Bonneville's Process to Decide How It Will Market Power After 2011

Power Division Director Terry Morlan briefed (90k PDF) the Council on the latest developments on what is referred to as the Bonneville Power Administration's Regional Dialogue. Morlan noted that meetings have begun to reach consensus on how to limit Bonneville's role as a power supplier and place greater responsibility for load growth on utilities. Topics covered so far include the service to public utilities, how to allocate the federal power system, cost control, and dispute resolution.