Hydroelectric facilities at Willamette Falls — Questions and answers
How will PGE customers directly benefit from the new license agreement?
PGE’s purchase of hydroelectric water rights from the nearby Blue Heron Paper Co. and the closing of its generator freed more Willamette River water for the Sullivan Plant. That has enabled PGE to produce additional reliable, low-cost power during the lower water months of summer when air conditioning increases demand. Meanwhile, ongoing turbine replacement at Sullivan will continue to lower maintenance costs to benefit customers.
How will salmon and steelhead benefit?
Better salmon and steelhead passage upstream and downstream is the primary benefit of the Sullivan Plant improvements. A wide variety of measures, from safer routes around the turbines, to reduction of natural predation (usually by northern pike minnow and gulls), to the closing of the Blue Heron Paper Co., are expected to improve fish survival to 98 percent or better, an all-time high.
How much has PGE invested in the Sullivan project?
Approximately $10 million has been dedicated to the Sullivan project and related educational programs.
How did the purchase of the Blue Heron Paper Co.’s water rights help fish?
PGE purchased the hydroelectric water rights from the Blue Heron plant at Willamette Falls and shut down its generator in August 2003. The move freed more river water for power production, while providing more water flow for fish bypassing the Sullivan Plant. In addition, fish no longer have to swim through the Blue Heron power plant, which doesn’t have downstream fish passage facilities.
What are some of the cultural, historical and educational commitments that are part of this agreement?
During the life of the new 30-year license, PGE will invest $500,000 in local cultural, historical and educational activities related to the facility. The actual components will be determined by PGE with input from community, historical and tribal interests.
Why are Native American tribes interested in the Sullivan project?
Willamette Falls has historic and cultural importance for Northwest Native Americans. Before people of European descent settled the area, the falls served as an economic and social gathering place for area tribes, offering a prime location for fishing and harvesting Pacific lampreys. Several tribal communities remain tied to the area and continue harvest activities.
What is the Pacific lamprey?
The Pacific lamprey is a fish that looks like an eel with a powerful sucker-type mouth. Like salmon and steelhead, lamprey spawn in freshwater and then die, while their offspring migrate downstream to saltwater. On their return trip, they migrate up the face of the Willamette Falls, swimming when possible and using their mouths to attach to and move up the rocks.
The lamprey is a traditional food source for Northwest Native Americans who harvest them at Willamette Falls. They are also used for fish bait, fish food and laboratory specimens.
What’s the significance of the project’s Pacific lamprey study?
The Willamette Basin is probably the most important production area for Pacific lamprey in the Columbia River Basin. As scientific knowledge about these fish is limited, PGE has undertaken a comprehensive study to determine whether additional project modifications are needed. Speculation also exists regarding whether the lamprey should be listed for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Who was involved in the Sullivan relicensing agreement process?
PGE worked with a wide-ranging group of interests to ensure environmental and public needs were met. Signatories include:
- Portland General Electric
- National Marine Fisheries Service
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Oregon Water Resources Department
- Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon
- Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon
- Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon
- American Rivers
- The Native Fish Society
- Oregon Trout
- Trout Unlimited
