We are delighted to see that Idaho's Governor Cecil Andrus and the Secretary of the Interior, Rogers Morton, are also of the same opinion. Considering the controversy that has been developed by the power interests in the Northwest, the position of the Bonneville Power Administration is indeed revealing. Certainly, if BPA feels that "No new dams need to be constructed to meet the projected load growth in the 1970's," then this Committee should no longer have to concern itself with that aspect of the controversy. Some people are saying that Senator Packwood's Bill is premature. They feel that more study is needed before the decision is made whether to drown this portion of the Snake River or preserve it for future generations in its natural state. We certainly hope that those who are asking for a delay in the passage of S. 717 are not doing so solely with the hope that a seven-year delay is better than enactment of S. 717 because a dam may yet be constructed in Hells Canyon at some later date. The time is right and the time is now to make the decision to preserve this River from damming and settle this matter once and for all. We respectfully urge this Committee to get on with the business at hand of saving the Snake River. Thank you, Mr Chairman, for providing this opportunity for us to present our views on the Hells Canyon-Snake National River Bill. Senator BIBLE. Our next witness is John P. Harville. STATEMENT OF JOHN P. HARVILLE, PH. D., EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PACIFIC MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION, PORTLAND, OREG. Mr. HARVILLE. I presume my full statement will be made part of the record. Senator BIBLE. Without objection, that will be the order. Mr. HARVILLE. I am John Harville, executive director of the Pacific Marine Fisheries Commission. We were established by an act of Congress in 1947 and today represent the five Pacific States of Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Its stated goal is to promote the wise management of marine anadromous fish which are of mutual concern and to develop joint projects over the subjects of protection, enhancement and prevention of physical injuries to such fisheries. The PMFC allies itself strongly with Senator Bob Packwood and colleagues who cosponsored the bill. Believing that the time is now to establish this unique river canyon and its many impressive priceless resources as a permanent heritage for all America, we support this. I will restrict my points to fisheries matters because I think they are particularly in our purvue. First, the Hells Canyon Middle Snake River is vital to the continued productivity of the enormously valuable chinook salmon and steelhead fisheries. Second, this proposed national river area sequesters a unique array of naturally maintained fresh water fisheries, a very great potential recreational value. Third, these irreplaceable fisheries values can be lost to Americans for all time if we permit further damming of this last free-flowing segment of a once great open river system, and there certainly appear to be viable alternatives for meeting power and water needs in the Pacific Northwest. In amplification of our first point for the entire Columbia River system, the entire system, the Middle Snake River and its tributaries lying within the proposed national river boundaries produce about 10 percent of the fall chinook salmon, 40 to 50 percent of the spring and summer run chinooks, and more than 55 percent of the total steelhead production of the entire Columbia River system. These totals reflect the fact that the Hells Canyon section of the Snake plus about 40 miles of the Columbia are all that are left of undammed river main stems. The map we attached to our prepared statement demonstrates that most of this once great open river is now a series of dam-created reservoirs just as Senator Church indicated earlier. These dams have foreclosed from anadromous fish spawning more than 500 miles, river miles, of the Upper Columbia and 50 percent of the Snake River. I note in passing, by the way, that it is not feasible to compare rivers mile for mile. The main stem of a major river cannot be compared in terms of fisheries values with equal numbers of tributary streams. We estimate that despite existing dams and their inevitable degradations of the river environment, from a fish production point of view the Columbia River contributed annually some 30 million pounds of salmon to the combined fisheries of the Pacific States. For this reason, PMFC has accordingly placed high priority on resolutions in the last meeting opposing further damming of the Middle Snake and pressing for prompt alleviation of the devastating nitrogen supersaturation problem created by existing dams, and we are most grateful, incidentally, for the vigorous support that the distinguished Senators in this group have given to this need which resulted in a $12 million appropriation for emergency handling of this problem. This effort goes back to 1960, not in terms of the nitrogen problem but in terms of protecting the Middle Snake, and we are directed to exert every possible effort to protect the integrity of this essential natural fish propagation area which is a major key to the future viability of the Columbia River salmon and steelhead fisheries. We would also stress the intrinsic worth of the Hells Canyon and Middle Snake River sports fisheries and associated recreational uses in addition to the values of the reason for anadromous fish propagation. In the interest of time, since I have documented it in my statement, I will not comment on the reasons for this. I would point out that, by the way, studies made in the State of Idaho have shown the enormous preference of anglers for open river systems as opposed to dammed reservoirs. Some 60 percent of the people who fish in Idaho prefer the open river even though Idaho only has about 20 percent of its waterway left in open river form. Finally, PMFC believes that there is no foreseeable need which can justify the sacrifice of these endlessly renewable fisheries and related recreational values in order to satisfy electric power or other exploitation of water in the Pacific Northwest. We strongly support the statements from the Governors of our three Western States that Senator Packwood read into the record earlier. I also find my job easier because Senator Church made part of my speech before in pointing out that we could solve a major part of our power problem by putting dams-putting power production units into the existing dams. Further, this would help to solve the nitrogen supersaturation problem. I would like to point out that my advisers from the engineering field differ strongly with the opinion expressed by the representatives of the power company in terms of the feasibility of this and the job it would do for power production and, also, incidentally, in terms of the feasibility of future nuclear resource developments. I would point out one fact that has not been mentioned and that is that the dams soon to be constructed on the upper river are going to add an amount of upriver storage that approximately doubles our existing upriver storage and their controlled flow makes their use of existing water resources very much more feasible and very much more effective. Therefore, we recommend an accelerated time schedule for installation of their power generating equipment in spaces already available in the existing dams to take advantage of this regulated flow; at the same time, reduce the spillage that is killing the fish through nitrogen supersaturation. This alternative was planned a long time ago. It was implemented by treaties with Canada in which much of this upriver storage is located. Given this alternative, in our opinion, desecration of Hells Canyon for hydroelectric purposes seems totally unthinkable. Finally, gentlemen, we would say that establishment of the Hells Canyon-Snake National River is the surest way to accomplish truly long term goals for all the American people permanent protection of critically important spawning grounds for the great chinook salmon and steelhead runs of the Columbia River, maintenance of a unique array of other fish and game resources in the Hells Canyon area, and preservation of a remarkable natural area with diversified options for use and enjoyment are held open for visitors for a generation to come. PMFC strongly supports the national river concept and salutes Bob Packwood and colleagues for far-sighted statesmanship in sponsoring this legislation. Senator BIBLE. That is a very fine statement. Thank you very much. What time of the year is the best time to go fishing for steelhead with roe? October? Mr. HARVILLE. I am not sure. I would have to defer to somebody else. Senator BIBLE. Let us ask the Senator. Is October the best month? Senator PACKWOOD. October is a good time but we will all be here in Washington. Senator BIBLE. You can always sneak away for a weekend. Senator BIBLE. Thank you very much. Questions? Thank you very much. (The complete statement of Mr. Harville follows:) STATEMENT OF JOHN P. HARVILLE, PH.D., EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PACIFIC MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION, PORTLAND, OREGON The Pacific Marine Fisheries Commission has worked for many years to achieve effective protection of the Middle Snake River and its tributaries as irreplaceable natural spawning grounds and juvenile rearing areas for the valuable salmon and steelhead fisheries of the Columbia River System. Two high-priority resolutions at PMFC's last annual meeting sought specifically to guard these threatened anadromous fish runs against further destruction by damming of the Middle Snake River. These resolutions have precursors dating back to 1960. A third resolution urged prompt action to alleviate the devastating nitrogen supersaturation of the Columbia and Snake Rivers generated by spillage over existing dams, a problem which can only be accentuated by any further damming of the main stems of these two great rivers. The Commission applauds the vision and the statesmanship of our distinguished United States Senators who have led us to three significant actions toward these and related goals: in supporting release of funds for immediate alleviation of the present nitrogen supersaturation problem by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers; by approval of the Jordan-Church (S. 488) seven-year moratorium on hydroelectric dam construction in the Middle Snake River as an immediate emergency nature; and for this prompt consideration of Senator Bob Packwood's landmark Hells Canyon-Snake National River Bill. Its 1The Pacific Marine Fisheries Commission is an interstate compact representing the five Pacific States of Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. It was established by act of Congress in 1947. stated goal is "to promote the wise management, development, and utilization of marine, shell, and anadromous fisheries which are of mutual concern, and to develop a joint program of protection, enhancement, and prevention of physical waste of such fisheries." PMFC allies itself strongly with the 23 Senators who have cosponsored Senate Bill 717, believing that the time is now to establish this unique Canyon and its many priceless resources as a permanent heritage for all America--to remain forever the natural spawning ground for chinook salmon and steelhead trout and the unique common habitat of white sturgeon, black bass, and a dozen other species-to be safeguarded forever against any single-purpose irreversible exploitation. To document this support position, we offer our analysis of the particular irreplaceable fishery values of the Hells Canyon-Snake National River area, leaving to others consideration of the related scenic and recreational worth of this deepest river canyon in America. In order to appreciate the vital contribution of the Middle Snake River and its tributaries to anadromous fish production in the Columbia River Basin, one first must consider the magnitude of these total Columbia River fisheries, and see some of the stresses they presently suffer due to existing water resources developments of the Columbia and its tributaries. Over 1.7 million salmon and steelhead have entered the Columbia River on the average in each of the last ten years (1). In recent years, commercial landings in the river have approached 10 million pounds a year, with 1970 producing over 12 million pounds of salmon alone (this total including a record coho salmon catch). In 1970 the sport catch at the mouth of the Columbia was almost 300,000 fish, to which can be added many thousands more taken by sports fishermen up the river and its tributaries to their headwaters in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Columbia River fish also contribute heavily to the total salmon harvest by the ocean trolling fleets operating off the coasts of all the western states and Canada. While firm figures are impossible because of limited data, rough estimates by the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries for the 1957 run indicate that the ocean troll fishery took nearly half of the chinook salmon bound for the Columbia River (2). If this approximation holds true for more recent years, then the ocean troll catch of Columbia River fish may be about double that actually harvested in the Columbia, since approximately half of the fish entering the river |