Save the Similkameen River

Since Okanogan County PUD filed its FERC license application in 2008, the Columbia River Bioregional Education Project (Columbiana.org) has worked deligently to challenge the re-electrification of Enloe Dam on the Smilkameen River.

Okanogan PUD has poured 14.5 million dollars into  securing its fourth FERC license for the Enloe Project.  They argue they have gone to far to turn back now.  Their own estimates predict the new powerhouse will lose $2 million dollars annually for the next 20-25 years of operation.  It is time to stop now

The economics of this project:
1)  The 4.5 MW average output is less than 1/4 of the Oroville Sub-station load and unworthy of investment.
2)  The $45 million dollars needed to construct the new powerhouse will require  interest payments of approx. $40 million dollars over the life of the 30year bonds, Burdening the Utiity and its ratepayers with an  actual cost of $100 million dollars for the Enloe Project. 
3)  Enloe Dam power is not needed at all.  New agreements with Douglas PUD for up to 22% of Wells Dam's 775MW output or 170MW of electricity equalling 38 Enloe Dams.  The new agreement with Douglas PUD signed May 2nd, 2017 will meet all our needs for the next 35-50 years, according to the PUD. New green technogies (solar, wind, geo-thermal and others), complimented by energy efficiency and conservation could meet our needs long into the distant future.

50 more years of 4.5 MW of hydro power from Enloe Dam will prevent the return of 100,000 Upper Columbia River Steelhead and Pacific Lamprey, both threatened species, to the 350 miles of spawning habitat locked away for a century behind Enloe Dam. They face extinction.  According to NOAA, the  removal of Enloe Dam is the" best bang for the buck"  for  the recovery of Upper Columbia River Steelhead in the entire Columbia River basin.  We need our "big rainbows" back in the Similkameen River!

 In April of 2017 Columbiana retained the legal Council of Smith & Lowney  PLLC, of Seattle WA in order to  challenge OKPUD's  application to use the design-build contracting method.  This form of contracting allows Okanogan PUD  to hire a single large  contractor to both design and build the powerhouse as well as meet all FERC license requirements necessary for electrification. In our appeal,  we demanded the public be allowed to make comments on this project and insisted that notice of the public hearing be published in the local okanogan county papers, not just the Seattle Journal of Daily Commerce as was initially done.  New hearings were held April 27th and 160 public comments were submitted.  Unfortunately all public testimony on the project was ignored by the Project Review Committee of the Washington State Capital Projects Advisory Review Board and design- build contracting authorinty was granted inspite of strong local opposition to the Enloe Project.  On May 2nd the PUD board entered into an agreement with Mountain States Hydro to design and build the Enloe Electrification Project.  As of today, the OKPUD has no idea what the final cost will be and will not know until December 2017.  We slowed the process  but were not successful in stopping the PUD. Still the few months of delay may have made a difference.

On June 15th the Business Council of the Colville Confederated Tribes passed a resolution calling for the removal of Enloe Dam and the restoration of the Similkameen River to its pre 1900 condition.  That is a huge reversal of policy from the Colville Confederated Tribes which in 2008 agreed to purchase 49% of the power produced at cost.The tribe now agrees with the Lower Similkameen Indian Band of the CCT that some Salmon did make passage above Coyote Falls but not in enough numbers to sustain the Similkameen Bands.  That is a big change from no fish made it over the natural falls.

New evidence supporting fish passage above Similkameen Falls has also come to light.  Last year fish were video taped attempting to jump Enloe Dam on August 27th, 2016.  This year more fish have been observed at the foot of Enloe Dam.   On July 27th, 2017, more fish were jumping from the pool at the base of Enloe Dam.  They were clearly Salmonid species , the larger ones , spring or summer Chinook Salmon.  More video documentary evidence is being pursued to docum,ent these observances, which are suported by testimony of local fishermen.

NOAA has sent a letter to FERC requesting a new hearing to discuss the biological importance of the Similkamen for the recovery of Salmon and Steelhead.  This could have a major impact on the decision to electrify Enloe Dam and the future of salmon and steelhead  in the Similkameen River.

On the Congressional stage, Representative Dan Nehouse is still championing the electrification of Enloe Dam, beleiving ideologically that every dam should be used to generate electricity, even if it is not cost effective.  Newhouse's HR 2828 has passed the house and now needs ratification from the Senate.  It would grant OKPUD an additional 6 years to complete the Enloe Project.  Write letters and make  direct calls to Senators Cantwell and Murray,  urging them to defeat HR 2828 when it comes before the Senate.  Enloe Dam is not worhy of the investment required  for its small amount of  power production. 

 If we intend to protect  the Similkameen River and its habitat forUpper Columbia  Steelhead, the Pacific Lamprey and the future generations of human beings living on this earth.   We must show our support for this worthy campaign and a  bright, hopeful vision of a restored Similkameen River.

Support us and we can save and restore the Similkameen River. 
Sincerely , Columbiana.