Water, Dams, Power

Vision for Water, Dams, and Power

There are sufficient committed water resources to meet the economic and quality of life needs of the region.

10-Year Outcomes and Goals:

  • Maintain regional price competitiveness for power resources.
  • Ensure adequate water resources for agribusiness, industrial, community, and quality-of-life usages.
  • Ensure management of regional water resources is based on sound science, is adequately founded, and balances a complete spectrum of federally authorized purposes.
  • Continue pursuing one message from many voices for matters relating to preservation of a multi-purpose river system.
  • Achieve success through educating people about the right things to do.

Key Measures of Success Over 10 Years:

To develop and sustain a process whereby the community can engage in issues and actions of significance and importance that affect the preservation of a multi-purpose river system.

Accomplishments During 2003:

  • Facilitated a community river user’s interactive luncheon with Tom Fitzsimmons, Washington State Department of Ecology. He presented the status and plans of the Columbia River Regional Initiative (CRRI), and conducted a subsequent meeting for WPD members.
  • Held forums for organizations actively participating in the CRRI to communicate their activities and plans.
  • Assisted TRIDEC and Tri-Ports with the visit by the Seattle House member, Representative Eric Pettigrew, who is actively engaged in the state competitive council.
  • Facilitated the communications on a variety of court actions involving water usage, the biological opinion, and dredging.
  • Obtained the participation of the Corps of Engineers in detailed presentations on river operations, biology of the river, and tour of the Ice Harbor Dam turbine down for maintenance.
  • Continue education of group members on the ever-changing world of power rates.
  • Provided key input to the Northwest Power Planning Council regarding proposed amendments to fish and wildlife plans.
  • Continued the ongoing speaker’s bureau to broaden the available information and under-standing of local water-user interests about the complexity and diversity of managing a multi-purpose river system.

Spring 2003 Workshop Update (PDF 13kb)