Popular Columbia River recreation destination reopens to public

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Tom Stredwick

Priest Rapids Recreation Area in Desert Aire offers new amenities just in time for summer

Desert Aire, Wash. – Significant improvements to one of the most popular recreation sites along the Columbia River are now complete at the Priest Rapids Recreation Area in Desert Aire, Wash. The site opens to the public this Friday, May 24.

New docks, expanded parking areas, swimming, hiking trails and boat launch are a few of many new improvements to the Priest Rapids Recreation Area. These changes to the 100-plus-acre-site come after months of work. Camping reservations as well as a complete listing of amenities can be found by clicking the “campground reservations” link on the homepage of grantpud.org.

These improvements stem from Grant PUD’s federal license requirements to protect and enhance the scenic quality of specific recreation destinations along the Columbia River near Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams.

“While improvements like these are a federal requirement, they also have a direct benefit to the communities we serve. Generating clean hydroelectric energy is more than turbines and generators; it also involves caring for the environment from which we benefit,” said Grant PUD Commission President Terry Brewer.

Members of the community are invited to a grand-opening celebration near the Priest Rapids Recreation Area campground on June 15 at 1 p.m. to experience the changes firsthand. The ceremony includes guest appearances by Grant PUD Commissioners and other local dignitaries.

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Feds approve Grant PUD’s Shoreline Management Plan

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Sarah Morford

Grant PUD received good news from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on April 18. FERC approved the utility’s plan to protect the shorelines of Priest Rapids and Wanapum dam reservoirs and supports the PUD’s plan to transition Crescent Bar to full public use.

In their order, FERC Commissioners stated, “[The proposed Shoreline Management Plan] is in the public interest because it comprehensively manages the project shoreline in a manner that protects environmental and public recreation resources, preserves historic and cultural resources, and protects scenic quality and aesthetic resources.”

“We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” said Commission President, Terry Brewer. “FERC gave us a very positive analysis on the proposal we made to improve the shorelines and increase public recreation and we couldn’t be more pleased.”

Included in FERC’s order was their approval of the PUD’s proposed classification for land use along the reservoir shoreline, which includes Crescent Bar Island. In the order, FERC Commissioners noted, “We recognize that Grant PUD’s proposal is contrary to the desires of the Crescent Bar Island leaseholders, many of whom view their leasehold interests as much more than a temporary property interest. However, Grant PUD’s proposal, a matter within its sole discretion, not to extend the lease on its lands was made for its own business and public policy reasons as well as to be consistent with its license obligations, and is consistent with the [Federal Power Act], Commission regulations and Commission precedent.”

Grant PUD, the Port of Quincy and Crescent Bar islanders are still engaged in litigation over the PUD’s ability to return the island to full public use for the benefit of the recreating public.

“Though the next steps in the lawsuit are still being determined, FERC’s approval of our shoreline management plan is definitely a step in the right direction,” said Brewer. “We look forward to the day all members of the public can recreate anywhere along shorelines within our control.”

Grant PUD’s Shoreline Management Plan is posted online here: http://www.grantpud.org/environment/shoreline-management/priest-rapids-project-license

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s order is posted online here:

http://elibrary.FERC.gov/idmws/file_list.asp?accession_num=20130418-3009

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sarah Morford
(509) 754-6633 / sarah.morford@grantpud.org

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Grant PUD bird expert to speak at festival

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Tom Stredwick

Grant PUD Biologist Behr Turner during a recent avian training.

PUD Biologist Behr Turner isn’t just sharing Grant PUD’s Avian Protection Program with employees this month, he’s also  volunteering his time to speak at the upcoming Othello Sandhill Crane Festival the first weekend in April.

The avian protection plan is designed to improve the reliability of our power system while reducing harm to birds. Learning about the program is important because line crews and meter readers are typically the first employees to discover injured birds. These trainings are necessary in that they help employees learn to distinguish the difference between red-tailed hawks, Swainson’s hawks, barn owls, great-horned owls, and many more. 

Hydro Training’s Lisa Leitz designed and edited the crane festival’s event catalog, and she is also providing PR for the festival. There will be vendors, plenty of activities for children, and lectures on local biology and geology hosted by professors and other subject-matter experts from around the Northwest. The WSU Raptor handlers will also be at the event with their birds.

In addition, the festival features wildlife-viewing tours, an opportunity to “bike for cranes,” and tours of the Wild Horse wind farm facility east of Ellensburg.

 This is the sixteenth year the Grant/Adams county community has hosted the festival, which is geared to increase understanding and appreciation of local wildlife, geology, and agriculture. The event will be held April 5th, 6th, and 7th.    

For more information, please visit www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org

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Grant PUD employees donate books

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Tom Stredwick

Many Grant County children will be cracking open the pages of books donated by Grant PUD employees as part of a recent Ephrata High School freshman class book drive.

The drive, which was a class project, collected new and gently-used books in March. The books were donated to agencies within the county that serve children and their families.

Hundreds of books were collected in the drive and a good number of the books came from Grant PUD employees.

EHS freshmen Kristen Duren, (from left) Tucker Merchant, Teighan Moore, Karlee Etter, Austin Franks, Tyler Hess hold books that were donated by Grant PUD employees for area children during the Class of 2016's recent book drive.

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Donors step up for Share the Warmth

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Tom Stredwick

Dan Miller, of Ag Water & Power Users of Easter Washington, presents a check to commissioner Tom Flint from the group for Share the Warmth last December.

Last December, two large donations came into the Share the Warmth program from the community. A $10,000 donation came from two generous Grant County families with a brief note thanking us for what we do for the community. Dan Miller, of Ag Water & Power Users of Eastern Washington also presented the commissioners with a check for $1,080 for Share the Warmth from his group.

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Voltswalkers recognized was top Relay for Life team

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Tom Stredwick

The Voltswalkers, a group of mostly Grant PUD employees, were recognized as one of the top Relay for Life teams in Washington state by Relay for Life in its January 2013 Relay Rumblings newsletter. The Voltswalkers have raised more than $100,000 for the American Cancer Society in 10 years and donated almost $20,000 last year. The team has a goal of raising more than $25,000 in 2013. To learn more about Relay for Life click here.

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Grant PUD employees pledge $7K for United Way

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Tom Stredwick

Grant PUD employees pledged $7,289 for the recent United Way campaign. The money will help local charitable agencies provide vital services to some of our most vulnerable neighbors. To learn more about United Way of Grant County, visit their website.

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Grant PUD employees donate to Seattle Children’s

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Tom Stredwick

Grant PUD employees donated $900 to Seattle Children’s Hospital this year, surpassing last year’s donations of $525. Organizer Bob Mayer said that some of our co-workers emailed him and shared their personal experiences with Seattle Children’s Hospital.

“They had nothing but wonderful things to say about the hospital,” Mayer said. “It is gratifying to see the charity of our colleagues and to know that their generosity will go to help many children in need.”

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Our Hydro employees give blood

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Tom Stredwick

Up to 81 lives may be saved thanks to the 27 people who donated blood during the Red Cross Blood drive at Grant PUD’s Hydro Engineering Department (HED) headquarters on Tuesday, Feb. 12. The 27 units eclipsed the goal of 24. Two more blood drives are scheduled for HED this year with one on July 16 and another on Oct. 29.

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Long term agreement reached for White River spring Chinook

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Tom Stredwick

 A long-term plan setting the course for White River spring Chinook salmon for the next 13 years has been reached by Grant PUD, state, federal and tribal agency representatives, known as the Priest Rapids Coordinating Committee (PRCC). The plan will lead to an independent scientific review and ultimately set a course for the White River program beyond 2026.  

Grant PUD Director of Natural Resources, Jeff Grizzel commented that, “We are very pleased with the terms of the agreement. Our intent all along was to be a good neighbor while also caring for the impacted species; this agreement allows us to potentially do both. I believe this plan provides adequate time for us to develop a solution that better meets the needs of the local community as well as requirements outlined in our federal license.”

Main elements of the agreement approved by the PRCC include: transferring Grant PUD’s requirement of producing 75,000  spring Chinook salmon smolts on the White River to Nason Creek through 2026, delaying any construction of hatchery facilities along the White River until at least 2026, continuing temporary spring acclimation of fish through 2016, monitoring the population through 2026, and conducting an independent scientific review of the White River program to determine if artificial supplementation should be considered post 2026. Each aspect of the agreement ensures that any future plans in the White River will continue to be based upon the best available science.

Grant PUD and fisheries co-managers have been implementing a spring Chinook program in the White River since 1997. The program is a requirement of Grant PUD’s federal license to operate Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams, which included development of facilities in the White River basin to support a hatchery supplementation program. A Chelan County hearing examiner last spring denied all necessary permits for Grant PUD to construct a proposed acclimation facility on the White River.

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