TO:	Brigadier General Strock	COE-NPD
	William Branch	COE - Water Management
	Cindy Henriksen	COE-RCC
	Doug Arndt	COE-P
	Col. Randall J. Butler	COE - Portland District
	Lieut. Col. W. E. Bulen, Jr.	COE - Walla Walla District
	J. William McDonald	USBR-Boise Regional Director
	Judith Johansen	BPA-Administrator
	Greg Delwiche	BPA-PG-5
FROM:	Christine Mallette, Chairperson, Salmon Managers
DATE:	January 3, 2001
SUBJECT:	Bonneville Dam Tailwater and Flows
SPECIFICATIONS:	Immediately implement the requested conditions in SOR #2000-37.

JUSTIFICATION:

In SOR #2000-37 the request and justification for the maintenance of a tailwater of 13.0 feet and a flow of at least 142 Kcfs at Bonneville Dam was provided to the Action Agencies.  This request was submitted on December 21, 2000 and has not been implemented or responded to by the Action Agencies.  Tailwater elevations have been as low as 11.6 feet and flows were below the requested 142 Kcfs.  This has resulted in the dewatering of ESA listed chum salmon redds.

On January 3, 2001 survey crews from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife were in the Ives/Pierce Island areas. At 1300 hours on this date flow at Bonneville flow registered 136.3 Kcfs with a tailwater elevation of 11.8 feet.  Under these conditions three chum redds were identified as dewatered and six additional redds were on the verge of being dewatered.  The highest redd location was identified as being 10-15 feet from the rivers edge.  No juveniles were intercepted during the survey, but based on the temperature information collected this year it is possible that some listed chum salmon emergence has occurred, or will occur shortly.

Given the fact that the impact of the actions taken by the Operating Agencies to specifically limit flows and, therefore, limit spawning area for this listed species is unknown, it is imperative to protect the present redds.  SOR#2000-37 should be implemented beginning immediately.