New deal means Spokane Falls will roar

The scenic downtown falls over the Spokane River will not dry up this summer, after environmental groups reached a deal with Avista Corp. to keep the water flowing from its dams all the time.

The deal announced Tuesday requires Avista to keep a minimum of 300 cubic feet per second of water spilling over the rocks in downtown Spokane's Riverfront Park during daylight hours, and 100 cfs at night.

"Water will be restored to Spokane Falls twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and we are thrilled," said Rachael Paschal Osborn, director of the Sierra Club's Spokane River Project and of the Center for Environmental Law & Policy.

The two environmental groups and Avista, based in Spokane, jointly announced the agreement. The settlement resolves a major issue in Avista's efforts to relicense its hydro dams on the Spokane River.

"We're very pleased to have brought this issue to a resolution that will provide a more pleasing experience for park visitors while at the same time allowing Avista to continue generating renewable hydropower at Upper Falls," said Speed Fitzhugh, Avista Spokane River license manager.

Spokane is one of the few cities in the nation with a large natural waterfall in its downtown core.

But the falls often disappear in late summer months, when tourists are plentiful, because river flows are captured behind Avista's dams to generate electricity.

Native Americans have gathered at Spokane Falls for centuries. When whites arrived, the city was originally named Spokane Falls.

"These waterfalls are important from every vantage: cultural, historic, economic and aesthetic," Osborn said.

The deal requires Avista to maintain flows over the Upper Falls' north and middle channels in Riverfront Park, plus the lower Spokane Falls below the Monroe Street Dam. In addition, the parties will work to explore restoration of the north river channel, which was altered by Avista's hydro development.

The deal ensures that Avista's Upper Falls Powerhouse will operate with a minimum flow of 500cfs.

Approval of the deal by the state Department of Ecology is a major step in Avista's efforts to win federal approval to continue operating its dams on the Spokane River. Ecology will issue a revised certificate to include the terms of the settlement. It is anticipated that a new license may be issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission later this year.

"This agreement has been a long time in the making, and we think the solution is a good one for everyone involved," said Jim Bellatty, water quality manager for Ecology's Spokane office.