Dams impact river’s water quality 

Proponents say removal would solve most issues

   Algae and thermal pollution are two major concerns in the California portion of the Klamath River, and are affected by three dams, Iron Gate, Copco No. 1 and No. 2.

   Algae bloom best in stagnant water with direct sunlight, such as in a reservoir behind a dam. Dams also generate heat, which can artificially heat water and damage fish habitats, officials said.

   “All the disagreements we have had with the TMDLs will be moot if we move forward with dam removal,” said Craig Tucker, Klamath campaign coordinator for the Karuk Tribe, which was involved in the pollution negotiations.  

   Two scenarios

   Clayton Creager of the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board said the board wrote Klamath River pollution allocations for two scenarios — with dams and without — but never recommended any course   of action with the dams, he said.

   According to the hydroelectric settlement agreement, PacifiCorp would remove four dams along the Klamath River, paid for by a surcharge on Oregon power customers’ bills and a California bond measure.  

   Related to KBRA

   The agreement is related to the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, which seeks to establish sustainable water supplies and affordable power rates for irrigators, help the Klamath Tribes acquire 92,000 acres of timberland, and fund habitat restoration and economic development in the region.  

   Proponents said dam removal would solve most pollution problems in California’s portion of the Klamath River, but if the agreement falls through for some reason, PacifiCorp would still have to follow the pending pollution regulations.

   Alexis Strauss, director of the water division of the Environmental Protection Agency, said, “That’s a couple of years away. Under the current deadlines, it could be decades before (the dams are removed). … In the meantime, there are a great many things that need to happen on the river.”