01/04/06 Water Coalition praises salmon ruling

The Coalition for Idaho Water is hailing a landmark decision by a Federal judge in Portland as a knock out blow to environmentalists trying to take Idaho`s irrigation water for use in downstream flow augmentation efforts. Judge James Redden last week denied a request by environmental groups, including Idaho Rivers Unite, that the Federal government take more water for flow augmentation salmon recovery efforts during the coming year. Coalition spokesman Norm Semanko says Judge Redden has put an end to flow augmentation. SEMANKO "The judge said on three different counts, one, there is no scientific proof that flow augmentation is helpful to the fish. The second thing is that he recognized that it would have dramatic impacts on upstream interest. He couldn't order water from, in this case from Canada, or order that water be kept at higher levels to be released later in Montana." Redden did allow for water to be spilled from some dams to aid salmon and environmentalists have claimed victory because of that. Semanko says the Redden ruling will also help the water coalition in a second case. SEMANKO "That bodes very well for us in the other lawsuit Idaho Rivers United and others have filed seeking water from southern Idaho." Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott