The Integrated Fish & Wildlife Program
Fish and wildlife are an important part of the Pacific Northwest's heritage.
So, too, is the low-cost and clean electricity produced by the
Federal Columbia River Power System (FRCPS). However, dams built on
this system affected fish and wildlife populations that already were feeling
the decades-long effects of over-fishing, logging, farming and other
developmental activities.
Today, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and its partners operating the FCRPS are working diligently to redress hydro development impacts to ensure that healthy fish and wildlife populations and low-cost electricity can exist side by side in the Pacific Northwest.
About the Integrated Fish & Wildlife Program
BPA works to protect, mitigate, enhance, and recover fish and wildlife
populations in the Columbia River Basin impacted by the operation of the
Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS). Partnering with the Northwest
Power and Conservation Council (Council), the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife
Authority (CBFWA), Columbia Basin Tribes, as well as other Federal, State, and
private organizations, BPA:
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Implements the Council's Fish and Wildlife Program to protect, mitigate, and
enhance the region's fish and wildlife affected by the Federal Columbia River
Power System (FCRPS)
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Implements Biological Opinions issued by National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) Fisheries and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS),
as required by the Endangered Species Act on the operation of the FCRPS;
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Fulfills treaty and trust obligations to 13 federally recognized Tribes in the
Columbia River Basin;
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Develops regional policies that address mainstem hydropower operation
strategies; and
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Provides fish and wildlife support to BPA's Power Business and Transmission
Business Lines.
An aggressive program: Under the Power Act, the Northwest Power and
Conservation Council, which represents the four Northwest states, develops a
Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program that guides BPA's actions. BPA and the
Council solicit projects for the program through an open and public process.
Proposals are submitted to a scientific review panel for scrutiny. Once
recommended by the Council, BPA implements the projects through contracts with
Columbia Basin tribes, states, other federal agencies, universities, and
private vendors. These projects range from repairing spawning habitat to
studying fish diseases and controlling predators. All together, BPA funds about
600 projects.
Making the river more fish friendly: In addition to program measures,
BPA, the Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation operate the federal
hydrosystem in ways that make it friendlier for fish and to meet our
responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This includes actions
releasing water from reservoirs each spring and early summer to speed the
migration of young fish to the ocean. Water also is released through spillways
at the dams to help juvenile fish pass the dams more safely. Under the ESA, the
federal agencies must develop operational plans to assure that actions they take
won't jeopardize listed species or result in adverse impacts to critical
habitat. Many of the measures that benefit endangered fish also benefit other
fish in the Columbia River and its tributaries.
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