PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) — An Eastern Oregon taskforce is examining ways to acquire water from the Columbia River, including dam repairs.
The East Oregonian reports (http://bit.ly/PXTKaa ) the 20-person group discussed projects ranging from advancing aquifer recharge to expanding reservoirs.
Some projects are not feasible until the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation finish negotiating the tribal water rights settlement.
One of the most promising ideas is repairing the Wallowa Lake Dam and using that water to mitigate Columbia River withdrawals. An increase in summer flows from the dam could aid sockeye salmon passage in the Wallowa and Lostine rivers, to the Grande Ronde and ultimately the Columbia.
