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Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
June 3, 2020
Additional hydro ownership
Tribal Council approved
a recommendation from
Warm Springs Power and
Water Enterprises that the
tribes acquire an additional
ownership interest in the
Pelton-Round Butte hydro
facilities.
The purchase will bring
the tribal ownership to 49.9
percent, in partnership with
Portland General Electric.
The recommendation and
Council decision were based
on the forecast for energy
prices, which indicate the
additional ownership interest
will be worth the cost of pur-
chase, said Jim Manion,
Power and Water general
manager.
Pelton-Round Butte is the
largest hydroelectric project
within the state of Oregon.
PGE built Pelton and the re-
regulating dams in the mid
1950s, and Round Butte in
1964.
In 2001 the tribes entered
the Global Settlement Agree-
ment with PGE to form the
joint ownership of the hydro
project, with the tribes re-
taining 100-percent owner-
ship of the re-regulating
dam.
The settlement agree-
ment was the means for
long-term relicensing of
the facilities with the Fed-
eral Energ y Regulator y
Commission. Since 2001
the tribes have exercised
options to purchase greater
ownership interests in the
facilities, and approval of
the latest increment the
tribes own the 49.9 percent
share. Fish passage above
of the dams has been a pri-
ority of the operation since
the 2001 agreement.
Schoolie, Agency water systems
Schoolie Flat residents
last week and early this
week continued without
running water, as repairs
were being made to pumps
for the reservoir.
Portable toilets and
showers were in place, and
drinking water was available
at the S-300 road.
Public Utilities was
pulling out the failed pump
motor to take it for repairs
as a temporary solution.
If all went well, the
hope was to have water
running again this week.
The long term solution
is to install two new pumps
with new motors and
upgrade the electrical
system.
Agency water issue
Utilities was also
reporting issues with the
Agency wastewater system
due to very low flows.
By order of the Twenty-Eighth
Tribal Council of the Confeder-
ated Tribes of Warm Springs, the
following provisions still apply on
the reservation:
All citizens on the reservation are
to wear a face covering mask while in
public places, where social distancing
of six feet or greater cannot be main-
tained.
With the closure of the
Warm Springs Academy and
most tribal Offices, low
flows were causing the
wastewater system to not
function properly.
Biological supplements
were being obtained to
make up for the issues that
have arisen from low
flows. If you would like
more information you can
reach War m Springs
Utilities at 541-553-3246.
Following a test result of nega-
tive or positive, all citizens of the
reservation and employees working
within the boundaries are to self-iso-
late and quarantine as directed by
healthcare professionals. Essential
employees and first-responders
who have tested with a negative
result will have additional guid-
ance about returning to work.
Jayson Smith/Spilyay
In May, health workers and
community members gather by the
clinic to watch the Oregon National
Guard F-15 fly-over. The health
workers carried a message of safety:
Mask Up - Save Lives.
The health worker appreciation fly-
over was a joint effort by Oregon’s
173rd Fighter Wing in Klamath Falls,
and 142nd Wing at the Portland
International Airport.