SANDPOINT - The public comment period has been extended on a controversial proposal to strategically store and release water in Lake Pend Oreille during the winter to meet power needs.

The deadline to submit remarks on the Bonneville Power Administration's proposed flexible winter power operations plan was next Monday, but is being pushed back to Sept. 13.

Michael Milstein, a spokesman for BPA, said the agency received several requests to extend the comment period, one of which came from the office of Idaho Gov. Butch Otter.

The governor's request indicated that more time was needed to coordinate comments between various state agencies and to allow the public ample time to respond.

BPA is asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to operate Albeni Falls Dam with up to a 5-foot operating range during winter to provide more flexibility for power generation.

Under the proposed Flexible Winter Power Operations plan, the winter pool elevation of the lake would fluctuate between 2,051 feet and 2,056 feet from mid-December until mid-March.

In recent years, the lake's level has generally been targeted at 2,051 feet or 2,055 feet with a 1-foot operating range.

The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from waterfront landowners and lake users in Bonner County who contend the fluctuating level will damage shoreline infrastructure, hasten erosion and impact water quality.

A 133-page Environmental Assessment on BPA's proposed Flexible Winter Power Operations plan was released in July. Critics of the proposal strongly urged for a more detailed Environmental Impact Statement.

Milstein said there is an existing EIS which focuses on operations at Albeni Falls Dam. One purpose of the EA is to determine if that EIS will suffice or if a new one is necessary.

BPA's preliminary findings in the EA indicate that a new EIS is not required, but Milstein said the agency could ultimately conclude an EIS is warranted as the public review process continues.

Milstein said he expects both BPA and the corps to render their own record of decision on the winter operations proposal.

It's not clear if the federal review process will be complete by the time winter hits.

"It's possible it could happen this year, but we won't know that until we see the comments and how significant they are," Milstein said.

Weather, kokanee spawning conditions and other factors will ultimately influence when a winter operations plan is implemented.

"The conditions that would support this kind of operation don't happen every year," he said.

• The Flexible Winter Power Operations plan's EA can be downloaded from the Bonner County Daily Bee website (www.bonnercountydailybee.com) and (http://bit.ly/n0a0wx).

Public comment sought

Email your comments on BPA's proposed winter operations plan to www.bpa.gov/comments or send them to Leah Wickstrom, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 3755, Seattle, WA 98124-3755