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SUNNY Temp: 86 °F Wind: W at 4 mph Sunday, September 28, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend May 9, 2003 Utility deal will improve fish habitat Prospect power plant operations unchanged in agreement to repair Little Butte Mill Dam By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Pacific Power will help boost salmon and steelhead habitat in Little Butte Creek under a pending agreement for the utility to continue operating its small power plant near Prospect. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife wants Pacific Power to pay most of the cost for retooling the Little Butte Mill Dam so more wild salmon and steelhead can reach the 68 miles of Little Butte spawning habitat. In exchange, the state will waive fish-passage requirements at Pacific Power’s diversion dam on the North Fork of the Rogue River. The dam blocks the North Fork’s native trout from less than a mile of river area that is considered to be poor fish habitat. Advertisement Without the waiver, the utility would be forced to provide fish passage at the North Fork dam. State biologists say doing so would provide far less benefit for fish than fixing the mill diversion in Little Butte Creek, a major spawning tributary of the Rogue. "Since there’s so little habitat downstream of the North Fork dam, it makes sense to go ahead and put the funding into a project that will be a great help for fish," said Deston Nokes, environmental spokesperson for Pacific Power in Portland. The Little Butte Creek improvements likely will cost Pacific Power between $105,000 and $185,000. The agreement is expected to be approved today during the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting in Portland. Pacific Power is seeking a federal relicensing of the hydroelectric project, which diverts upper Rogue Basin water to generate 36 megawatts of electricity for the region’s power grid. The licensing is through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the project’s current license expires in July 2005. The facility was completed in 1927 and sits less than a mile upstream of "The Avenue of the Boulders," which is a natural barrier that marked the historic end of salmon and steelhead migration. Salmon and steelhead are now blocked by Lost Creek dam, which is several miles downstream. State law requires fish passage at artificial obstructions that are either new or undergo "fundamental change." Pacific Power’s relicensing request triggers the diversion’s review by the commission, which has the power to issue waivers. Demanding fish passage at the North Fork dam would provide little benefit to trout that are already abundant and well-dispersed in that area, said Ken Homolka, the ODFW’s hydropower coordinator for southwestern Oregon. The ODFW would rather see the money go toward improving the Little Butte Mill Dam, which has an old fish ladder deemed very inefficient, Homolka said. The poor design hampers or delays salmon, steelhead, trout and Pacific lampreys from migrating into 68 miles of upstream spawning habitat, he said. The new dam and ladder for Little Butte Creek are still under design and are expected to be finished by early fall 2004. It is expected to cost between $180,000 and $260,000, Homolka said. The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board has pledged $65,000, and the Rogue River Guides Association will donate $10,000 to the project Tuesday. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times