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Historic Klamath Dam Removal Project Takes Another Step Forward
T
he Federal Energy Regulatory Committee just paved the way for the four dams clogging the Klamath River to be taken down, approving a transfer of the hydroelectric license from PacifiCorp to the nonprofit Klamath River Renewal Corporation and the states of Oregon and California. “Since 2016, PacifiCorp, along with a coalition of state and federal agencies, Tribes, the states of Oregon and California, and other stakeholders, have worked together to propose surrender of the project license, which includes a plan to decommission the four dams on the Klamath River that comprise the Project,” a FERC news release on the June 17 approval states. “Today’s transfer is another important step in the ongoing surrender proceeding.” The decision comes at a crucial juncture, with conditions in the Klamath Basin at the worst they’ve been in years due to drought conditions, threatening the ecology of the river and a way of life for local Tribes. “The transfer of the four dams represents a major milestone in the multigenerational effort to heal the Klamath River. This action moves us that much closer to the day when we can begin removing the dams and restoring the river for future generations,” Yurok Vice Chair Frankie Myers said in a statement that also thanked Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. “Dam removal needs to happen before it’s too late for the imperiled
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Klamath salmon.” North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman, who has been active in the removal efforts, praised the decision in a news release that notes the historic decommissioning of the dams “will open 420 miles of salmon spawning habitat, and dramatically improve water quality and temperature conditions on the Klamath River that cause and increase disease in fish.” “The tribes and stakeholders of the Klamath River basin have worked diligently for years to restore one of the West’s most important watersheds, and now FERC has moved to make this a reality,” Huffman said. “The partnerships between the states, the tribes, the utility, and many others are ringing in a new era that recognizes the injustices of the past and invests in the future.” For months, local Tribes, including the Karuk and Yurok Tribes, conservationists and fishermen have been issuing alarm bells over the especially dire conditions this year — with juvenile salmon dying at such an alarming rate there’s fear none will survive. “What Klamath Basin communities are facing right now is the definition of a disaster. It is also the new normal. Substantial water shortages are along-predicted symptom of climate change. There is an urgent need for an equitable federal disaster relief bill that addresses the immediate needs of our communities and establishes a foundation from which to build a more resilient ecology and economy in the
COVID Cases: Thirteen Humboldt patients were hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a state database on Tuesday, including four in intensive care, and another local resident died as cases in the region continue to outpace the rest of the state. POSTED 6.22.21
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Copco Dam on the Klamath River. POSTED 6.17.21 Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Dept. of the Interior
Klamath Basin,” Myers said in May. “We owe it to future generations to never let another juvenile fish kill like this happen again. We need to act now before it is too late for the Klamath salmon.” A month earlier, as Klamath Basin Tribes sent a letter to the Biden administration requesting aid, Karuk Tribal Chair Russell Attebery also voiced concerns that a way of life is at stake. “The Klamath Basin is in crisis,” he said. “This drought has the potential to irrevocably damage the already anguished ecosystems and economic viability of
Otter Lookout: The long-awaited North Coast Otters Public Art Initiative’s treasure hunt of 108 otter sculptures painted by local artists spread throughout five North Coast counties has finally begun and will continue through September. POSTED 6.22.21
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the area. Salmon are the lifeblood of the Karuk people and play an integral role in our culture, ceremonies, and nourishment. We have watched our fisheries decline for decades and have done everything in our power to save them, but we have arrived at an impasse; there is nothing we can do to make the rain come.” With the transfer of the license, the historic removal of the four hydroelectric dams is slated to begin in 2023. — Kimberly Wear POSTED 6.17.21 Read the full story online.
Saving Salmon: A decades-long effort to protect spring Chinook took a major step forward June 16 when the California Fish and Game Commission unanimously approved listing the fish as threatened under the state’s Endangered Species Act. POSTED 6.20.21
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northcoastjournal.com • Thursday, June 24, 2021 • NORTH COAST JOURNAL
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