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Published: October 9, 2009
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Since their construction began in 1916, the four hydroelectric dams built along the Klamath River’s main stem have brought serious hardships to the Tribal groups, commercial fishermen, and local communities that depended on the river’s once mighty salmon runs. Thanks to a collaborative negotiations effort between local stakeholders and PacifiCorp, the decade long fight to tear down these outdated dams has reached a new milestone towards resolution.
On 30 September, a tentative agreement was reached with the company on a deal that would allow for the removal of PacifiCorp’s Iron Gate, Copco 1, Copco 2, and J.C. Boyle Dams by the end of 2020 if that action is deemed in the public interest and of benefit to the rivers salmon fisheries. This effort would represent the biggest dam-removal project in history and would provide an important boost to dwindling fishery resources all along the Pacific Northwest.
Today more than 600 river-miles of once fully occupied salmon spawning and rearing habitat now lies behind these four impassable dams. In addition, poor water quality caused by the dams’ reservoirs and the downriver physical impacts of the dams themselves has also greatly diminished the salmon runs of the Klamath River, once the third largest in the U.S., including Alaska.
The Draft Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) announced will now be taken to the governing Boards and Commissions of all those groups involved in these settlement negotiations, including PCFFA. Final approvals of the Agreement and signatures are expected by end of December, at which point the dam removal concept will be put through more than two years of rigorous scientific study.
The research will attempt to forecast and plan for the engineering and environmental challenges that removal of the dams will entail. Dam removal planning will also have to determine what the safest, most practical method will be for dealing with potential water contaminants and released sediments. In accordance with the Agreement, the Secretary of the Interior will make the final decision on whether taking the dams down is in the public interest, based on a thorough analysis and public hearings under NEPA, by 31 March 2012.
While the exact costs of dam removal have not yet been determined, under the current Agreement PacifiCorp is responsible for contributing a fixed amount of up to $200 million to the project. The remainder of the funding will come from up to $250 million in voter-approved general obligation bonds to be passed in the State of California. This dam removal fund of up to $450 is much higher than the currently estimated costs of removal, but precise estimates must still be determined through additional engineering studies.
PaciCorp’s planned contribution to the dam removal project will likely be cheaper for the company than the more costly dam retrofits, including fish ladders, that would otherwise be required by the Clean Water Act and various federal agencies under a regular 50-year relicensing.
Tribal groups, commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, environmental organizations, coastal communities, and all others that depend on the Klamath River will be eagerly awaiting the successful end to this historic legal battle. The Klamath River has been the provider of nourishment in the form of abundant salmon and steelhead runs, the source of diverse cultural traditions, a renewable source of economic opportunity for commercial and Tribal fishermen, and a steady source of reliable water for centuries. Removing the Klamath Dams will help to preserve the region’s cornucopia of ecological services and cultural vitality for centuries to come.
source: Fishlink Sublegals
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Published: October 9, 2009
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EmailSince their construction began in 1916, the four hydroelectric dams built along the Klamath River’s main stem have brought serious hardships to the Tribal groups, commercial fishermen, and local communities that depended on the river’s once mighty salmon runs. Thanks to a collaborative negotiations effort between local stakeholders and PacifiCorp, the decade long fight to tear down these outdated dams has reached a new milestone towards resolution.
On 30 September, a tentative agreement was reached with the company on a deal that would allow for the removal of PacifiCorp’s Iron Gate, Copco 1, Copco 2, and J.C. Boyle Dams by the end of 2020 if that action is deemed in the public interest and of benefit to the rivers salmon fisheries. This effort would represent the biggest dam-removal project in history and would provide an important boost to dwindling fishery resources all along the Pacific Northwest.
Today more than 600 river-miles of once fully occupied salmon spawning and rearing habitat now lies behind these four impassable dams. In addition, poor water quality caused by the dams’ reservoirs and the downriver physical impacts of the dams themselves has also greatly diminished the salmon runs of the Klamath River, once the third largest in the U.S., including Alaska.
The Draft Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) announced will now be taken to the governing Boards and Commissions of all those groups involved in these settlement negotiations, including PCFFA. Final approvals of the Agreement and signatures are expected by end of December, at which point the dam removal concept will be put through more than two years of rigorous scientific study.
The research will attempt to forecast and plan for the engineering and environmental challenges that removal of the dams will entail. Dam removal planning will also have to determine what the safest, most practical method will be for dealing with potential water contaminants and released sediments. In accordance with the Agreement, the Secretary of the Interior will make the final decision on whether taking the dams down is in the public interest, based on a thorough analysis and public hearings under NEPA, by 31 March 2012.
While the exact costs of dam removal have not yet been determined, under the current Agreement PacifiCorp is responsible for contributing a fixed amount of up to $200 million to the project. The remainder of the funding will come from up to $250 million in voter-approved general obligation bonds to be passed in the State of California. This dam removal fund of up to $450 is much higher than the currently estimated costs of removal, but precise estimates must still be determined through additional engineering studies.
PaciCorp’s planned contribution to the dam removal project will likely be cheaper for the company than the more costly dam retrofits, including fish ladders, that would otherwise be required by the Clean Water Act and various federal agencies under a regular 50-year relicensing.
Tribal groups, commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, environmental organizations, coastal communities, and all others that depend on the Klamath River will be eagerly awaiting the successful end to this historic legal battle. The Klamath River has been the provider of nourishment in the form of abundant salmon and steelhead runs, the source of diverse cultural traditions, a renewable source of economic opportunity for commercial and Tribal fishermen, and a steady source of reliable water for centuries. Removing the Klamath Dams will help to preserve the region’s cornucopia of ecological services and cultural vitality for centuries to come.
source: Fishlink Sublegals
Submit Article