SENATE COMMITTEE ON

TRANSPORTATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

February 05, 2003 Hearing Room C

8:00 AM Tapes 19-20

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Rick Metsger, Chair

Sen. Bruce Starr, Vice-Chair

Sen. Ryan Deckert

Sen. David Nelson

STAFF PRESENT: Amy Joyce, Committee Administrator

Annastasia Suess, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: SB 180 - Work Session

Informational meeting - Invited testimony on the Columbia River water use for irrigation and industry

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 19, A
002	Chair Metsger	Calls the committee to order at 8:02 a.m. and opens an informational meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
040	Sen. Nelson	Explains the reason he has invited testimony on Columbia River water use.
050	Chair Metsger	Closes informational meeting with intent to re-open, and opens work session on SB 180.
SB 180 - WORK SESSION
060	Monica Brown	Legislative Fiscal Office. Explains the purpose of the bill.
062	Vice Chair B. Starr	MOTION: Moves to ADOPT SB 180-2 amendments dated 2/3/03.
065		VOTE: 4-0
	Chair Metsger	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.
070	Vice Chair B. Starr	MOTION: Moves SB 180 to the floor with a DO PASS AS AMENDED recommendation.
075		VOTE: 3-1 AYE: 3 - Sen. Deckert, Sen. Metsger, Sen. Starr NAY: 1 - Sen. Nelson
092	Chair Metsger	The motion CARRIES. SEN. METSGER will lead discussion on the floor.
095	Chair Metsger	Submits a packet of testimony of constituent cities. (EXHIBIT A).
099	Chair Metsger	MOTION: Moves that the SUBSEQUENT REFERRAL to the committee on Joint Ways and Means BE RESCINDED.
		VOTE: 4-0
100	Chair Metsger	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.
110	Chair Metsger	Closes work session and re-opens an informational meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
115	Paul Cleary	Water Resources Department. Begins discussion on Columbia River’s current water rights. Provides written testimony (EXHIBITS B, C).
175	Cleary	Continues discussion on water rights: · Current irrigation rights · Geographical and physical access to the main-stem · Salmon runs · Current surface water rights
315	Sen. Ted Ferrioli	District 30. Provides testimony of concerns on water usage along the Columbia:
400	Sen. Ferrioli	· Sustainability of Oregon agriculture · Sustainability of transport capacity · Sustainability of irrigated agriculture
TAPE 20, A
030	Chair Metsger	Comments on testimony.
035	Vice Chair B. Starr	Asks about water temperature changes myth.
040	Sen. Ferrioli	Answers and provides clarification on surface cooling of waters.
050	Bob Levy	Governor Kulongoski’s Transition team. Begins discussion on Columbia River water availability. Provides written testimony (EXHIBIT D).
100	Levy	Continues discussion on Columbia River water availability · Background · Recommended actions · Tri-city Herald articles
160	Darryll Olsen, PhD	Pacific Northwest Project, Regional Planner/Resource Economist. Begins discussion on Columbia River water management. Provides slide show material (EXHIBIT E).
200	Olsen	Continues discussion on water management: · Flow targets on the Columbia River Basin · Survival rates for juvenile Spring Chinook release groups · 2001 water conditions at the McNary Dam
TAPE 19, B
020	Olsen	Continues discussion on water management: · Economic benefits · Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association (CSRIA) vs. Washington State Department of Ecology (WADOE) litigation · Northwest Power Planning Council
125	Sen. Nelson	Asks what the cost is to the state.
130	Olsen	Answers.
140	Sen. Deckert	Asks what the circumstances of the Klamath water fish deaths were in regards to California.
155	Olsen	Answers.
165	Sen. Deckert	Comments on the need to view each circumstance separately.
175	Olsen	Agrees, and provides further comment on water temperatures and habitats.
180	Sen. Nelson	Asks about the differences in using 10-acre feet of water versus 3 feet, and why it changed.
185	Levy	Answers and elaborates.
210	Sen. Deckert	Asks what percentage would qualify as efficient.
215	Levy	Answers and elaborates.
225	Chair Metsger	Asks if there is a comparison of water irrigation acres on the south side versus the north side of the basin.
235	Levy	Answers.
240	Olsen	Elaborates.
255	Gary Neal	Manager of the Port of Morrow. Provides testimony on economic component to the Columbia water usage.
	Neal	· Describes Port of Morrow duties · Cites a 1997 study on alternative water supply · Critical ground water concerns · Competitors influence on Morrow
TAPE 20, B
020	Neal	Concludes.
030	Sen. Nelson	Comments on the food processing industry in Morrow, and asks what other industries will assist Morrow.
035	Neal	Answers and provides information on projects pending in Morrow.
045	Sen. Nelson	Asks for elaboration on further expansion of the food processing industry in Morrow.
050	Neal	Answers and comments on the food processing industry in the US.
055	Roger Martin	Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). Begins with historical impact of Columbia River fisheries.
120	Martin	Continues testimony.
175	Chair Metsger	Asks about specific data provided in testimony.
185	Martin	Clarifies testimony, and suggests a written response from the Tribe.
210	Sen. Nelson	Asks for if there is a potential that the use of the Columbia water would be helpful to increase the flows to the Umatilla.
230	Martin	Answers.
240	Sen. Nelson	Comments on Wallawa run.
251	Chair Metsger	Closes the informational hearing and adjourns the committee at 9:45 a.m.
The following prepared testimony is submitted for the record without public testimony.
	Karen Russell	Submits written testimony (Exhibit F)

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Informational, written testimony, Sen. Rick Metsger, 7 pp

B – Informational, written testimony, Paul Cleary, 2 pp

C – Informational, written testimony, Paul Cleary, 2 pp

D – Informational, written testimony, Roger Levy, 11 pp

E – Informational, slide show, Dr. Darrell Olsen, 44 pp

F – Informational, written testimony, Karen Russell, 5 pp