Governor Comments Against Fort Peck Dam Changes
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has come out against a plan that would change water release from the Fort Peck Dam in order to benefit the endangered pallid sturgeon.
The draft EIS identifies and compares several alternatives and outlines in detail, the preferred alternative for assessing test flow capacity from Fort Peck Dam, to promote growth and survival of pallid sturgeon during the free swimming juvenile stage prior to their settling out in the headwaters of Lake Sakakawea.
The comment period to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ended on May 25. A decision is expected to be announced in November.
Gianforte noted the plan could have negative impacts for farms and irrigation systems downstream of the Fort Peck Dam.
In his letter, Gianforte said river levels could flood water users in late spring and limit water resources during the summer months. The proposal calls for more water to be released in the spring to attract fish to move upstream and spawn.
The Roosevelt County commissioners approved in May sending a comment to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the proposed test releases from Fort Peck Dam.
Officials noted that the environmental study found that the proposal could cost up to $7.5 million in lost farm income across four counties including Roosevelt County.
The commissioners’ comment included, “A rush to make 2022 the first year of test releases is ill-timed both for irrigation and the pallid sturgeon. A drought year is a particularly bad year not to have reliable irrigation. For the sturgeon, the released water needs to be warmer than what is provided from the bottom of the reservoir. The release should be from the spillway using shallower and warmer water. This easily might not be available in the looming drought conditions.”
Commissioner Duane Nygaard noted that the proposal is a “gigantic issue” for Roosevelt County. He said the high release will take between five and six weeks.
“I think it’s a terrible idea,” Commissioner Duane Nygaard said during a meeting in May.
Commissioner Gordon Oelkers added, “Once you change channels on a river, it’s never coming back.”
