Fees may go up at Bully Creek

By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 7:59 AM PDT

VALE — For years, if you wanted to camp at Bully Creek Reservoir, the cost was $10.

That all could be about to change and the Malheur County Court wants to hear from voters on the matter.

A public hearing on the issue is set for 10 a.m. June 25 in the County Court chambers in Vale.

The county has not boosted camping fees at the reservoir for eight years. Officials are contemplating hoisting camping rates by $5 — from $10 to $15 — per night, per site at the reservoir.

Owners of recreation vehicles, who empty their holding tanks at the facility provided by the county are charged $5 if they do not stay overnight. That fee will also be raised by $5. The new fees will go into effect July 1, if approved.

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Along with revenue from the state and other funding, the county adds about $5,000 per year to the park budget, Janice Belnap, county administrator said.

Also last week, the Malheur County Court listened to a presentation regarding expansion plans to meet future demands for power.

To serve its growing customer base, Idaho Power Company has been studying a number of options and is planning construction of two power transmission up through Eastern Oregon and across southern Idaho. Mike Ybarguen, Idaho Power Community Relations representative, met with the County Court and other county leaders Wednesday, and explained the company’s position for these plans.

“There were 14 days last summer when the company didn’t have enough capacity,”  Ybarguen said. That is, the there was more demand for power than there was power in the system.

“We have no room,” he said. Despite what people believe, he said, Idaho power is a net importer of power.

To do nothing could bring on brownouts and rolling blackouts, he said. So, in order to increase its capacity to bring electricity into and through this service area, Idaho Power plans to build at 260-mile, 500,000-volt transmission line from southern Idaho to northeast Oregon, connecting a transmission station near Boardman with one planned for the Melba and Murphy vicinity.

A substation will be located in the Sand Hollow area, north of Caldwell, to improve performance of the transmission line.

The route of the transmission has not been chosen yet, but Ybarguen said company officials hope to have that wrapped up soon and will be working on the permits and engineering process.

“Idaho Power has the lower composite rate of any power company,” in the nation, Ybarguen said.

The main reason that is true is the company’s hydro-electric projects of which it has 17, Ybarguen said.

“We do not have a new license (for the Hells Canyon complex), he said. “We’re still trying to get it completed. Fish is an issue. Water quality is big issue.”

He said Idaho Power has spent $60 million to $70 million in the 10 years going through the process.

The company also has interest in coal-fired power plants, natural gas-fired plants and has contracted to buy power from wind-energy developers and geothermal power developers.