Today's learning adventure at Mr. Howard Arnett's Law Office

The People of the Big River 2015- Day 4 Wednesday at the Law Office of Howard Arnett; Karnopp Petersen LLP       Attorney at Law       Here is the amazing view from the conference room:

But before Mr. Arnett inundated us with information, we at lunch at the park… 

Mr. Arnett discussed information about the Dams along the Three Columbia River Tribes  which are the Confederate bands and tribes of the Yakama Nation, Confederate bands and tribes of the Warm Springs Tribe, and The Umatilla Tribe.

A discussion on the Hydro-electric Dams and how they run Portland General Electric (PGE). The Dams did not initially consider how an impact was towards the Salmon or Anadromous Fish. Previous to all of these Dams, the Columbia River was the site of “Celilo Falls” at the time, it was the biggest Falls in the World. Although it is no longer available (only in pictures), due to the Dams that are now in existence.

Mr. Arnett did discuss the Fish Tower, and it’s originality. This Fish Tower is used to transport fish from one side of the dam to the other using this unique system. The reason for this Fish Tower is because the 3 Dams on the Deschutes River, the Metolious River, and the Crooked River creates a sort of whirlpool that confuses the fish.

Another topic: Where the Deschutes name originated: French Name des Chutes (River of the Falls) by a French fur trappers. The Deschutes flows 250 miles North from its source at Lava Lake, near the crest of the Cascades to the Columbia River, East of the Dalles. The Deschutes has a common flow, a running river, what this means is that the Volcanic system in Oregon maintains the flow of the Deschutes River, going through some underground natural volcanic tube, basically another natural source for the extra water. What eventually happens is the water comes up on the other side, supplying the flow of water.

The last dam or first dam, is a re-regulating dam, built by the Warm Springs… which is also referred to as a Peaking Dam… This means that when the local supplied community running off of that electricity, is used, or in other words the Dam begins to use its Turbines for the purpose of generating electricity for that purpose.

During a minor break: Civil Litigation, and Environmental Law. Mr. Arnett clearly explained that Litigation is actually in court. So the practice of Law eventually happens in court, which is called Litigation.

An important portion was about the Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, all the fish that spawn and travels through a lifecycle that involves their return to i’s spawning area and how the impact of these Dams are. 


Rich information about the northwest environment… Thank you Mr. Howard Arnett.