Historic Agreement Reached in Klamath Dam Controversy

Posted by Tara Lohan, AlterNet at 1:51 PM on January 16, 2008.

The largest river restoration project in American history may become a reality.

Tribal, fishery, and environmental groups in California and Oregon's Klamath Basin have been trying for years to get a series of antiquated dams removed from the Klamath River -- but they've run into conflict from upstream irrigators used to getting cheap and plentiful water, and PacifiCorp, the dams' owner. (You can read more about that in my AlterNet story.)

The dams, which produce a minimal amount of electricity, were constructed in 1918 and have resulted in the loss of historic salmon runs, changes in water quality and safety of the river, and have devastated the economies of Native and fishing communities along the river and coast.

But, after over two years of talks, an alliance of 26 diverse stakeholders from the Basin has produced a draft agreement.

A representative from the Karuk tribe confirmed that: "the Klamath Settlement Group has produced a draft agreement to settle many of the key issues that have for years divided the Klamath Basin's diverse communities. ... The meetings producing the agreement were convened by the Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe, and Klamath Water Users Association.

According to Maria Tripp, Yurok Tribal Chair:

This is a historic moment for the Yurok people and all other Klamath Basin communities. For many generations, the Yurok people have witnessed a steady decline in the health of the river and the life that it sustains. Implementation of this agreement, coupled with removal of the four PacifiCorp dams from the Klamath River, turns the tide from degradation to restoration. These agreements will enable our children's children to have the same cultural experiences and memories of the river and fish that our families enjoyed a hundred years ago.

The Karuk's press info says that, "The proposal addresses the needs of fish and farms. It provides a reliable and adequate allocation of water to farms and wildlife refuges, addresses the need for affordable power for Klamath Project irrigators who move water between farms, wildlife refuges and to the river. At the same time more water will be made available to the lower river to for the benefit of fisheries and coastal communities. Proponents of the agreement see it as a giant leap forward in the effort to restore the entirety of the Klamath basin."

A representative of the Klamath Irrigation project, which speaks for the interests of farmers in the area, gave his support, as did Glen Spain of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations.

But there are still some pieces of the puzzle missing.

While this agreement has united long-arguing parties in the Basin, it still needs the help of PacifiCorp, the dams' owner to make it a reality. The company is a subsidiary of Mid-American Energy Holdings Company, which is owned by billionaire Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway.

And, according the Los Angeles Times, not everyone is happy with the settlement:

Two environmental groups and a Northern California tribe balked at the blueprint, calling it a Bush administration sellout to agribusiness allies. Clifford Lyle Marshall, chairman of the holdout Hoopa Valley Tribe, said the proposal favors farmers over the river's fish and labeled it "an Old West irrigation deal: guarantees for irrigators, empty promises for the Indians."

"The ironic thing is there's not even dam removal in this dam-removal deal," said Bob Hunter of WaterWatch of Oregon, one of the two dissenting environmental groups, both of which were excluded from the negotiations last year. "It seems they released it now because time is running out for the Bush administration to deliver to its political allies in the Klamath farm community."

Given the political and environmental history of the Basin, it is not surprising that many parties feel a deal is inadequate, although for the vast majority of those in the area, it is hopeful. The next round of conflict is just weeks away when the alliance begins meetings with PacifiCorp. Stay tuned.

Tagged as: water, dams, salmon, klamath

Tara Lohan is a managing editor at AlterNet.