Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current, November 06, 2008, Page 2, Image 2

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    November 6, 2 0 0 8
Spi'lyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
Page 2
Tribes, agencies sign hydro operation agreement
The Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs have agreed to a
plan for the operation o f the
Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric
Project on the upper McKenzie
River.
The area is part o f the tradi­
tional lands o f the Confeder­
ated Tribes, and the tribes Natu­
ral Resources Department par­
ticipated in the development of
the hydro operation plan.
The Carmen-Smith Hydro
Project is operated by the Eu­
gene Water and Electric Board.
Officials from the tribes, fed­
eral and state natural resource
agencies, environmental groups
and other parties signed the op­
erating agreement in October.
In all, 17 governmental bodies
were represented at the signing
ceremony.
The plan outlines the envi­
ronm ental, recreational and
other improvements that the
E ugene W ater and E lectric
Board (EWEB) will undertake,
as part of the relicensing of the
Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric
Project.
The dam is licensed, for a
period of 50 years, through the
Federal E nergy Regulatory
Agency. The hydro facility is
Photo courtesy of Lance Robertson of EWEB.
Jody Calica, secretary-treasurer of the Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs, greets members of the Eugene Water and
Electric Board.
owned by and serves the citi­
zens of Eugene.
A m ong o th er things, the
agreement calls for EWEB to
construct an upstream fish lad­
der and a downstream fish pas­
sage system at Trail Bridge
Dam.
The agreement calls for an
increase in year-round stream
flows in p o rtio n s o f the
McKenzie River and the Smith
and Carm en bypass reaches
above Trail Bridge reservoir,
greatly im proving fisheries
spawning and rearing habitat
throughout the project area.
EWEB will rebuild and im­
prove the three campgrounds in
the area, construct new day-use
sites at all three reservoirs, and
protect important cultural and
historical resources.
In all, w ater and electric
board has agreed to make an es­
timated $135 million in enhance­
ments and mitigation measures
related to the hydroelectric
project.
The agreement is the result
o f nearly two years of discus­
sions among the 17 parties.
The Carmen-Smith project is
located 71 miles east of Eugene
on the upper McKenzie and
Smith rivers.
It consists o f three dams and
reservoirs, two powerhouses, a
salm on spaw ning channel,
campgrounds and other ameni­
ties. The rivers not only provide
power, but also are an impor­
tant source of aesthetic, cultural
and recreational values for lo­
cal communities and beyond.
This agreement attempts to bal­
ance these interests.
The agreement will result in
safe upstream and downstream
fish passage fo r C hinook
salmon, listed as threatened un­
der the Endangered Species Act,
into historical habitat above Trail
Bridge Dam.
Eugene voters approved con­
struction of the Carmen-Smith
Hydroelectric Project in 1958.
It was completed in 1963, and
remains EW EB’s largest and
most important source of util­
ity-owned, low-cost hydroelec­
tricity.
Its output is equal to about
9 percent of Eugene’s average
power needs.
EWEB is a municipal utility
that is governed by a five-mem­
when she found a school of the
tiny salmon. In fact, the salmon
have been found in 10 areas
where they had previously van­
ished.
The Garcia River watershed
had been devastated by logging,
and the coho p o p u la tio n
dwindled to 1 percent of previ­
ous numbers.
In 2004 the watershed be­
came part o f a "sustainable
forestry" experiment, which al­
lows for only selective logging
on the land. The funds from
the logging are then used to pay
for restoration and land manage­
ment.
The area is owned by the
Conservation Fund, which paid
$18 million to a timber company
for the 23,780-acre G arcia
River Forest. The Nature Con­
servancy works alongside the
Conservation Fund to study
and monitor fish and wildlife on
the land.
inatta you fon
Mfrfromtùtg túc 6ttá¿-
ttcoceo «fotí oce út t6e
>’
Auttokvwtivg
Done right tí» first 6me since
ber board elected by the citizens
o f Eugene. EWEB is Oregon’s
largest citizen-owned utility. In
addition to providing electricity
to 86,000 customers, it serves
almost 200,000 people and busi­
nesses in the Eugene area with
water.
Besides EWEB and the Con­
fed erated T ribes o f W arm
Springs, other parties to the
agreement are:
The National Marine Fisher­
ies Service; U.S. Fish and Wild­
life Service; U.S. Forest Service;
Oregon Department o f Envi­
ronmental Quality; Oregon Fish
and Wildlife Department; O r­
egon Parks and Recreation D e­
partment; Confederated Tribes
of the Grand Ronde Commu­
nity o f Oregon; Confederated
Tribes of Siletz Indians of Or­
egon; American W hitewater;
Cascadia W ildlands Project;
McKenzie Flyfishers; Oregon
Hunters Association; Oregon
W ild; Rocky M ountain E lk
Foundation; and Trout Unlim­
ited.
More on the Carmen-Smith
p ro ject, the agreem ent and
relicensing can be found on the
web at www.eweb.org.
M erle K irk will be
teaching beadw ork on
Tuesdays during Decem­
ber at the OSU 4-H Ex­
tension.
The beadwork classes
are for youth from the
first-grade and up. This is
a great chance to make
gifts for Christmas.
The classes will be on
Dec. 2, 9 and 16.
For youth in grades one
through five, the classes
will be from 3:30 to 4:30
p.m.
For youth in grades six
and up, the classes will be
from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
You must be enrolled
in 4-H to participate. Lim­
ited to 10 students per ses­
sion.
Sign up at th e 4-H
OSU Extension office in
the Education building, or
call 553-3238.
The beadwork and the
class will be fun and easy
to do.
Tepee Deli, Ventures act to
encourage school attendance
Endangered salmon found in remote creek
UKIAH, Calif. (AP) - Scien­
tists have discovered juvenile
coho salmon on California's
N orth Coast in a number of
places where the endangered
fish had not been seen for years.
Jennifer Carah, a field scien­
tist for the Nature Conservancy,
says she was snorkeling recently
in the Garcia River watershed
Beading
classes
foryouth
T he T epee D eli and
Warm Springs Ventures wish
to support the Confederated
Tribes’ efforts to encourage
high school graduation.
Recently, high school age
youth have been spending
time at the deli during school
hours.
So, before this becomes
a habit, employees o f the deli
are announcing that they
want to help curb absentee­
ism from school.
E ffective immediately,
during 509-J school days,
anyone 18 years o f age and
u n d er can only use the
internet café computers af­
ter 2 p.m.
If asked, please produce
p roof o f age, or you may
be asked to leave until 2 p.m.
Thank you.
HAVE A
GOBBLE-GOBBLE GOOD
TIME AT KAH-NEE-TA!
♦ ♦ ♦
SATURDAY, NOV. 22 nd
♦ 11am - TURKEY SHOOT GOLF TOURNAMENT. Only $30,
including cart and barbeque.
THANKSGIVING DAY
ÆflOÛWE
CfMER
♦ 11am - 5pm - Enjoy a delicious THANKSGIVING DINNER
BUFFET in the Chinook Room. Adults $24 / Kids $12 (7-12)
Kids 6 and under - free with adult purchase.
SATURDAY. NOV. 29™
C om plete
R e p a ir
S e rv ic e
♦ 11:30am - CIVIL WAR PARTY in Appaloosa Lounge.
♦ Enjoy the big game on our big screen with plenty of prizes!
NOV. 20™ - DEC. 20™
CALL 475-6663
♦ PICK-A-PRESENT DRAWINGS - Win presents from
under the casino Christmas Tree.
or stop by for an appointment
755 S.W. Hwy 97, Madras, OR 97741
I^HNEEJA
HIGH DESERT RESORT & CASINO
541.553.1112 ♦ kahneeta.com
Approved Auto Repair
lo in us for great food and fun in November at
Kah-Nee-Ta High Desert Resort and Casino. For reservations
or to learn more, call 541-553-1112 or go to kahneeta.com.
*21 and over in Appaloosa Lounge.
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