PGE & Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs targeted

The Pelton Round Butte Dams are the target of accusations of water quality violations from an environmental group who says that Portland General Electric and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are violating water quality at the dams.

The Deschutes River Alliance is urging regulators to penalize PGE and the Tribes. In recent years there have been declines in salmon and steelhead runs in the Deschutes river because of an explosion of harmful algae in the lower river because of dam operations says Sarah Cloud who is with the Deschutes River alliance. The group also says the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is failing to enforce water quality standards on the lower Deschutes River.

The Department of Environmental Quality has listed the Lower Deschutes River as “impaired” due to quality issues of the water and will take steps to rectify that. The agency also stated that PGE and the Tribes are in compliance with the state permit that allows them to operate the dams.

This information comes from a report done on April 14th from Oregon Public Broadcasting from reporter Bradley Parks. Northwest News Network Story