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Statement of Chris Shutes, FERC Projects Director, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, prior to the commencement of the Caples Lake fish rescue,

August 26, 2008.

Contact info: blancapaloma@ msn.com. Cell: (510) 421-2405. Website: www.calsport.org

Good morning. I'm Chris Shutes, FERC Projects Director with the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. Along with my colleague Barbara Bania from Trout Unlimited, I have been one the leads in coordinating volunteers for this rescue effort. I would also like to recognize Jerry Neuburger, the CSPA Webmaster, without whom the organization of this effort would not have been possible.

CSPA believes it is important to participate in rescuing the fish from Caples Lake. CSPA appreciates the level of effort and commitment of resources that have been made to the project by both the Department of Fish and Game and by the El Dorado Irrigation District. We greatly appreciate their decision to work with volunteers in this effort.

While CSPA has serious questions regarding the entire planning of the dam's repair, we need to salvage the situation and the fish to the degree possible. We also believe it is important to recognize that EID has approved an extensive restocking program for Caples Lake next spring and summer.

It is CSPA's position that the belated discovery of the damage to the dam and the rush to repair, resulted in a process whose planning and execution was unacceptably accelerated. In declaring an emergency, environmental review was bypassed; CSPA is never comfortable when public process is shortened or reduced. While no repair solution to the Caples outlet works has currently been presented that could have avoided where we are today, CSPA believes public review might have led to a better approach.

When EID purchased Project 184, including Caples Dam, from PG&E about 9 years ago, EID inherited a lot of aging and poorly maintained infrastructure. To its credit, EID has done major work since then on the dam at Lake Aloha, at Echo Lake, and on the El Dorado Canal. However, we do have to wonder why it took EID so long to discover the extent of the problems at Caples Lake. Why was there no inspection at time of purchase? And why didn't the Division of Safety of Dams and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission pick up on this problem sooner?

Aging hydro projects exist throughout the Sierras. The events of the next few days and months should serve as a wake up call that the healthy condition of this infrastructure must not be taken for granted.

Many people have asked me if we will see a similar process next year at Silver Lake, where the outlet works also needs repair. Fortunately, the answer is no. There is no danger to the fish at Silver Lake: the outlet works are different, and much more water can be stored during repairs. In preliminary discussions, EID has suggested that it will complete environmental review for repairs at Silver Lake. We believe that this is in the best interest of everyone.

Finally, there is also the fishery in Caples Creek downstream of Caples dam to consider. Caples Creek is one of the finest wild trout fisheries in the Central Sierra. DFG, EID and the other members of the Project 184 Ecological Resources Committee will need to very carefully manage the water that remains in Caples Lake after repairs in order to save the fishery downstream.