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This Website is Dedicated to Alvin Alexander Cheyne January 10, 1921 - June 17, 2005 |
Survey: Dams preferred
Majority of responses favor fish ladders over
removal
Most respondents to an informal Herald and
News survey would rather see fish
ladders installed at four hydroelectric dams on
the Klamath River rather than have them removed to re-establish
passage for migratory fish such as chinook salmon.
Nearly 130 people responded to the online survey. Loss of hydroelectric power was one of the biggest concerns voiced by those advocating installation of fish ladders, more than half of whom thought reintroducing salmon to the upper reaches of the Klamath Basin would cause more problems.
Proponents of removal say the good
would outweigh bad
“We will be committed to saving a fishery that
will be impossible to save,” said one Klamath County
respondent.
Those supporting dam removal also say there would be losses, but see overwhelmingly more benefits than problems from restoring the river to its natural state.
“The jobs will change, the watershed will be healthier, the recreation will make the area some of the most prized in all of the Northwest,” said a former Klamath Falls resident and survey respondent.
Removal of the four PacifiCorp-owned dams is a condition of the Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement. Representatives of agricultural,
environmental, tribal, fishing and governmental interests spent
2 1/2 years crafting the 256 - page water settlement.
Other inclusions
Funds to help pay for the purchase of private forestland for the Klamath Tribes and establishment of a stable power rate for irrigators are also included.
The value of the power the dams generate, and the fact that it is more environmentally friendly than sources such as coal and oil, were among reasons fish ladders advocates gave for keeping the dams.
Several questioned whether salmon should even be in the
upper reaches of the Basin, either because habitat is too
developed to support them or they aren't native species and
don't belong here.
"It was never proven that they were here in great numbers
ever," said one Klamath Falls respondent.
Those seeking dam removal
provided a list of benefits that removing the
dams would bring, from boosts to tourism and cultural
heritage to restoration of habitat and salmon runs. While
the dams produce needed power, some said they are outdated
and other clean sources could
replace them.
‘Dinosaurs’
“They are dinosaurs well past their need,” said another Klamath Falls respondent.
Even if the dams aren’t removed, PacifiCorp is required to facilitate fish passage beyond the dams and meet water quality standards per conditions established by the Federal Regulatory Commission.
Side Bar
Survey Results
Following are the results of an informal online survey
conducted by the Herald and News as of 1:30 p.m. Sunday. 128
people provided responses.
1.) Where do you live?
Klamath Falls and its suburbs:
53.1%
Klamath County:
27.3%
Siskiyou County:
5.5%
Lake County:
0.8%
Modoc County:
0.8%
Other:
17.9%
2.) What do you think should happen to Pacifi-Corp’s four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River?
Keep the dams and install fish ladders:
48.4%
Remove the dams to establish fish passage:
32.8%
Leave them as they are:
20.3%
3.) If the dams are taken out, what would you consider the biggest consequence of their removal?
Loss of hydroelectric power:
64.1%
Other:
26.6%
Loss of flood control:
25%
Loss of personal property values:
17.2%
Loss of recreational reservoirs:
15.6%
Loss of jobs with PacifiCorp:
12.5%
4.) What do you consider the biggest benefit of reintroducing salmon to the Upper Klamath Basin?
Other:
40.5%
Addition to local recreational fishery:
35.3%
Restoration of habitat:
34.5%
Improvement of coastal fisheries:
27.6%
5.) Do you think reintroducing salmon to the upper reaches of the Klamath Basin will create more benefits or problems?
More problems:
44.1%
More benefits:
37.8%
Not sure:
18.9%
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