In response to a request from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will provide limited spill at Bonneville Dam to help maximize passage survival for 7.5 million juvenile fall Chinook that are being released from Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery on March 8th.
Thirty-six consecutive hours of spill is targeted to begin on the evening of March 10th and end the morning of March 12th. The vast majority of the 7.5 million juvenile fall Chinook release is expected to pass Bonneville Dam during this time frame and benefit from the spill program.
Fishery and hydro-system managers met on March 7th during a Federal Executive Committee to reach this agreement. This committee guides hydro-system management in the Columbia River Basin.
