The Independent Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB) appreciates the opportunity to review the draft submission by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Hydropower Program (Portland office) to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) regarding dissolved gas studies in 1998. The National Marine Fisheries Service requested this review by the ISAB with a copy of its transmittal letter from Dr. Mark J. Schneider to Langdon Marsh of ODEQ (December 1, 1998) and discussions with Chip McConnaha of the Northwest Power Planning Council staff. The ISAB received the draft report for review at its December 2, 1998 meeting in Portland.The draft provides a technically sound and reasonably useful summary of monitoring and research in 1998. We make recommendations for improvements that address technical concerns and the utility of the document. In so doing, we recognize that the originally planned research program was limited by the availability of funds while priority attention was directed to physical measures for gas abatement at dams in accordance with recommendations of the Independent Scientific Review Panel.We have some general comments, particularly on the structure of the section on Gas Bubble Research in relation to Appendix 1, "Outline for NMFS Annual Report to EQC." More detailed comments follow.
