Klamath Water Wars Settled With Agreements to Remove Four Dams

Photo Credit: Jim McCarthy

NEVADA CITY, California, November 19, 2008 (ENS) - Removal of four dams on the Klamath River and the largest river restoration project in U.S. history moved closer to accomplishment last week with the signing of two agreements between federal, state, utility and tribal officials.

The four dams owned by the electric utility PacifiCorp - three in California and one in Oregon - produce enough power for 70,000 people, but they have blocked 350-mile-long salmon runs, preventing the fish from swimming upstream to spawn.

The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement outlines activities that would restore and sustain wild salmon populations to support in-river and ocean fishing industries and provide water supply certainty to communities and water users in the Basin.

The Klamath Basin Hydroelectric Agreement sets forth the process for studies and an environmental review to inform a decision by the Secretary of the Interior on whether or not the removal of the four dams is necessary for restoration of fish in the Klamath Basin and is in the public interest.

The two agreements provide a framework for removal of the four dams beginning in 2020, provided that Congress approves.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, PacifiCorp Chairman and CEO Greg Abel and the chairmen of the Klamath, Yurok and Karuk Tribes in signing the two agreements in the Capitol Rotunda in Salem.

"The Klamath River, which for years was synonymous with controversy, is now a stunning example of how cooperation and partnership can resolve difficult conflicts," said Secretary Salazar. "The agreements provide a path forward to meet the needs of local communities, tribes, farmers, fishermen and other stakeholders while restoring a beautiful river and its historic salmon runs."

"Today we celebrate a thoughtful, collaborative approach that will bring certainty and stability to water issues to support agriculture and, at the same time, will restore the Klamath River to support wild salmon populations," said Governor Kulongoski. "A restored basin will serve all Oregonians - from the basin to our coastal communities - who depend on the river and its resources for their social and economic livelihoods."

"Today's historic agreement is testament to the great things we can achieve by working together. Everyone here cares about the magnificent Klamath River and we are taking action now to preserve this natural wonder for generations to come," said Governor Schwarzenegger.

"Our top priority at PacifiCorp has been and continues to be protecting our customers in terms of cost and liability, said Abel. "This is another significant milestone toward establishing the framework that ensures our customers' best interests are front and center, no matter what the ultimate public policy decision is in terms of dam removal." PacifiCorps' parent company, MidAmerican Energy Holdings, is owned by American billionaire Warren Buffett.

"These agreements will vastly improve habitat conditions for fish by re-establishing the connectivity between physical, chemical and biological processes within the basin that are essential to ecosystem health and the sustainability of the basin's valuable natural resources," said NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco.

Conservation groups American Rivers and Trout Unlimited reaffirmed their "unwavering support" for the Klamath River restoration agreements. Both organizations have participated in the decade-long negotiations that resulted in the two agreements.

"The agreements to restore the Klamath are the result of years of hard work by basin farmers, fishermen, conservationists, tribes, and federal, state and local governments," said Steve Rothert, California director for American Rivers. "Our organizations count the agreements to remove four dams and restore this great river system as a major achievement."