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BRAZILIAN DELEGATION COLUMBIA RIVER STUDY TOUR COLUMBIA RIVER SYSTEM OVERVIEW By Jim Barton

BRAZILIAN DELEGATION COLUMBIA RIVER STUDY TOUR COLUMBIA RIVER SYSTEM OVERVIEW By Jim Barton Chief, Columbia Basin Water Management Division U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division Portland, Oregon May 2009. Presentation Topics Physical Characteristics Operational Considerations

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BRAZILIAN DELEGATION COLUMBIA RIVER STUDY TOUR COLUMBIA RIVER SYSTEM OVERVIEW By Jim Barton

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  1. BRAZILIAN DELEGATIONCOLUMBIA RIVER STUDY TOUR COLUMBIA RIVER SYSTEM OVERVIEW By Jim Barton Chief, Columbia Basin Water Management DivisionU.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division Portland, OregonMay 2009

  2. Presentation Topics • Physical Characteristics • Operational Considerations • Coordination

  3. COLUMBIA RIVER SYSTEM HYDRO PLANT ELEVATIONS

  4. AVERAGE ANNUAL RUNOFF AND USABLE RESERVOIR STORAGE MAJOR WESTERN RIVER BASINS 250 240 230 220 210 200 190 180 170 Average Annual Runoff 160 150 Usable Reservoir Storage 140 MILLIONS OF ACRE FEET 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Columbia Colorado Missouri RIVER BASINS

  5. Natural & Regulated Flows

  6. Characteristics • 4th Largest river in North America • Most powerful (35,000 MW total capacity) • Drainage area = 259,000 mi2 (669,500 km2)219,000 (84% in 7 US states) + 39,500 (Canada) • Source in British Columbia, Canada; L= 1,214 mi. (1,950 km) • Major Sub-basins: Kootenay, Pend d’Oreille; Snake; Willamette • Climate: winter (wet, mild); summer (dry, warm) • Precip: 6 – 180” (1500 – 4600 mm); max. in winter • Snow: 400” (10,000 mm) in fall - early spring • Evaporation: 35 – 55” (900-1,400mm) • Runoff and Streamflow: • Eastern Basin = snow; Western = rain) • Discharge: Avg 275 kcfs (7,787 m3/s); Vol.: 198 maf (244 km3) • Highest recorded flow: (1894): 1,240 kfs (35,113 m3/s)

  7. Minimum Elevation, same as draft for flood control in wet year (1997) http://www.columbiabirdresearch.org. Indicates total flood control space available, in million acre-feet Total space available for flood control: Total active storage: 24.5 MAF 45 MAF 4 Comparison of space available for system flood control storage 1.3 3 5 3.2 5 2 1 9

  8. Operational Considerations • Projects within basin are operated as a system to meet regional needs for hydropower, flood risk management, etc. • System is operated for multiple purposes that can conflict with each other • Ex. Flood risk management requires lower reservoirs in winter and spring to store flood waters; fisheries requires reservoirs to be higher • Environmental and fisheries requirements have increased significantly in recent years due to Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and other factors. • Infrastructure within the system is aging (average age is about 35 years), budget for improvements is constrained (spillways, gates, powerplants, etc.) • Awareness, interest, involvement, and expectations of stakeholders has grown significantly • Given all of these factors, operational flexibility is much more limited than in past

  9. Multiple Purposes Hydropower Fish & Wildlife Irrigation Recreation Flood Damage Reduction Navigation

  10. Albeni Falls Hungry Horse Libby Grand Coulee Chief Joseph Wells Rocky Reach Rock Island Montana Pacific Lower Granite Lower Monumental Priest Rapids Washington Dworshak Little Goose bia River Ice Harbor um Col The Dalles Ocean John Day McNary Bonneville River Hells Canyon Oregon Chum Salmon Chinook Salmon Steelhead Sockeye Salmon White Sturgeon Bull Trout Oxbow Willamette Brownlee Idaho Endangered Species Act Operation

  11. River Flows for Multi Purpose Operations Scenarios 13

  12. OPERATIONS TIMELINE OPERATE TO STURGEON FLOW OBJECTIVES MINIMUM FLOW OR FLOOD CONTROL OPERATE TO SALMON FLOW OBJECTIVES L I B B Y POWER DRAFT BURBOT FLOW REQUEST OPERATE TO BULL TROUT FLOW OBJECTIVES BURBOT FLOW REQUEST A F L A B L E L N S I Winter Flood Control Elevation Refill Full for Summer Recreation Draft To Winter Flood Control Elevation H H U O N R G S R E Y OPERATE TO MCNARY SPRING FLOW OBJECTIVES MINIMUM FLOW OR FLOOD CONTROL OPERATE TO MCNARY SUMMER FLOW OBJECTIVES OPERATE TO CHUM FLOW OBJECTIVES OPERATE TO MCNARY SPRING FLOW OBJECTIVES OPERATE TO MCNARY SUMMER FLOW OBJECTIVES Variable Draft Limits (Fish VECC) MINIMUM FLOW FOR COLUMBIA FALLS OPERATE TO CHUM FLOW OBJECTIVES Variable Draft limits (Fish VECC) OPERATE TO PRIEST RAPIDS FLOW OBJECTIVES D W O R S H A K REFILL FOR KOKANEE OPERATE TO VERNITA BAR FLOW OBJECTIVES OPERATE TO VERNITA BAR FLOW OBJECTIVES OPERATE TO LOWER GRANITE SPRING FLOW OBJECTIVES OPERATE TO LOWER GRANITE SUMMER FLOW OBJECTIVES MINIMUM FLOW OR FLOOD CONTROL MINIMUM FLOW OR FLOOD CONTROL JAN MAY OCT NOV FEB MAR APR JUN JUL AUG SEP DEC Winter Flood Control Elevation G C R O A U N L D E E

  13. Coordination • Integrated water resource management approach used in coordinating system planning and operation • Extensive coordination required to plan and operate system given multiple purposes, objectives, and interested parties (two countries, multiple states) • Examples of coordination groups: • Columbia River Treaty • Pacific Northwest Coordination Agreement • Technical Management Team

  14. Columbia River Treaty Organization CANADIAN GOVERNMENT Ministry of External Affairs Ministry of Natural Resources BRITISH COLUMBIA GOVERNMENT UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Department of State Department of Energy Department of Army TREATY PERMANENT ENGINEERING BOARD * CANADIAN UNITED STATES CANADIAN ENTITY * United States ENTITY * PEB ENGINEERING COMMITTEE *** CANADIAN UNITED STATES CANADIAN COORDINATOR & SECRETARY ** United States COORDINATOR & SECRETARY ** OPERATING COMMITTEE ** CANADIAN UNITED STATES HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL COMMITTEE ** CANADIAN UNITED STATES * Established by TREATY ** Established by ENTITY *** Established by PEB

  15. Pacific Northwest Coordination Agreement – Northwest Power Pool

  16. Regional Fisheries Implementation Organization BLM NMFS (CHAIR) BIA USFWS USFS CORPS FEDERAL EXECUTIVES USBR NPPC BPA STATES TRIBES Independent Scientific Advisory Board EPA IMPLEMENTATION TEAM (IT) SYSTEM CONFIGURATION TEAM (SCT) WATER QUALITY TEAM (WQT) TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT TEAM (TMT)

  17. Summary • Columbia River is a very important resource in the regional in terms of economic development, environmental sustainability, and other areas. • Columbia River is operated as a system to meet multiple purposes • Operating requirements have become more difficult to implement as increasing demands are being placed on the river • Good coordination, communication, and working relations among the various parties involved are one of the major keys to success

  18. The End U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division Portland, Oregon

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