In findings filed late Wednesday by Administrative Law Judge Parlen L.
McKenna of Alameda, Calif., the utility lost on 11 out of 14 issues of
material fact. None of the points on which PacifiCorp prevailed applied
directly to whether salmon could be restored to the upper river.
‘‘This shows that the science was upheld. The process
works,’’ said Steve Edmondson, Northern California habitat
supervisor for NOAA Fisheries, which with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service has proposed requiring PacifiCorp to build fish ladders over the
four dams.
Dam
removal still the goal
Indian tribes, salmon fishermen, and conservation groups said they hoped
the judge’s findings would lead PacifiCorp to ultimately decide it is
cheaper to remove
the dams.
‘‘If we are going to make major gains in protecting salmon, the
Klamath is the place to start,’’ said Craig Tucker, Klamath campaign
coordinator for the Karuk Tribe. ‘‘It’s because these dams are
very poor power producers. If you compare the benefits they provide
versus the social costs, the conclusion is clear these dams should be
removed.’’
Historically, the Klamath was
the third biggest producer of salmon on the West Coast, after the
Columbia and the Sacramento-San Joaquin systems.
The cost of ladders
PacifiCorp has estimated it would cost $250 million to build fish ladders
and make other improvements for salmon mandated by federal fisheries
agencies, and would cut power production at the 150-megawatt facility in
half.
