Sep. 25--The city and the federal government have worked out a 50-year, $93 million habitat conservation plan to make the Bull Run River on Mount Hood more hospitable to salmon at the same time preserving it as the Portland area's source of drinking water.

The plan will cost residential ratepayers about 15 cents more on an average monthly bill over the span of the agreement.

"I think the efforts of the city over the next 50 years should allow us to make a meaningful contribution to salmon restoration," said Eddie Campbell, director of resource planning for the Portland Water Bureau.

The river's unfiltered water is the pride of Portland, but it hasn't worked out so well for the salmon. The federal government lists four species as threatened: winter steelhead, spring and fall chinook, coho and chum.

The Endangered Species Act requires the city to show how it can reduce the effects of its dams and other systems, which raise water temperature, block access to habitat and reduce river flow.

The conservation plan, presented Wednesday to the City Council, was worked out with federal officials, steelheaders and other stakeholders.

The plan, together with an agreement between the city and the National Marine Fisheries Service, provides a 50-year guarantee against further regulation that could interfere with the water delivery system.

It's expected to lead to a permit from the federal agency, allowing continued use of the Bull Run River for drinking water in compliance with the Endangered Species Act.

The $93 million will go to capital projects (about $35 million) and operations, maintenance and research (about $58 million).

One idea is to increase the flow in the river below the dams. In the past, the city would run the reservoirs dry in the summer before switching to the backup system of wells along the Columbia River.

Under the plan, the city will use the backup wells more to keep the river flowing enough to support salmon. The plan also includes a new system for allowing water over the second dam that uses cooler, deeper water, and restoring habitat in the lower river.

Campbell said the bureau decided against installing a fish passage system, citing the high cost compared with the benefits for salmon.

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