NATIVE FISH SOCIETY


P.O. Box 19570


Portland, Oregon 97280


(503) 977-0287


Email:  bmbakke@teleport.com


										


		


May 20, 1998





Ms. Donna Darm


Protected Species Program


National Marine Fisheries Service


Northwest Region


7600 Sand Point Way, NE


Bin C15700, Bldg. 1


Seattle, WA 98115-0070





RE:	Listed steelhead passage at mainstem dams and fishway maintenance 


schedules





Dear Ms. Darm:





	This letter follows up on our conversation where I altered you to the 


possible conflict of fish passage maintenance and passage of listed steelhead at 


mainstem dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers.


	About a decade ago there was a controversy regarding the maintenance of 


fishways at mainstem COE operated dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers.  


This issue has come up again.  There is scientific evidence, based on radio tagging 


and passage observations of summer steelhead overwintering in the mainstem 


Columbia and Snake rivers.  When water temperatures begin to moderate in 


February and March these fish resume upstream migration to their spawning areas.  


If mainstem dams have fishways out of service due to maintenance, then these fish 


are delayed.  The effect of this delay is unknown, but these fish often have a 


considerable distance to travel and it can be assumed that delay does not work in 


their favor.


	I am asking you and your agency to make sure fishway maintenance is not 


creating a migration barrier for listed and non-listed steelhead.


	This problem was brought to my attention by a member who caught 


numerous wild steelhead below John Day Dam this February.  These fish were not 


finclipped and were of large size, suggesting they were B-run fish.  All wild fish, of 


course, were released.  This person also noted that he did not think the fishway 


was operating at John Day Dam.


	Would you please inquire about this possible conflict between routine 


maintenance by the COE of its fishways and the ESA.  I would greatly appreciate 


it.  It seems that this problem, if it still exists, could be resolved rather easily.








Sincerely,








Bill M. Bakke, Director