By Paul Boerger
August 16, 2006
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Iron Gate dam on the Klamath River is one of five dams PacifiCorp said it willing to discuss removing in ongoing negotiations with farmers, Native American tribes and fisherman. |
In the long complicated saga of the Klamath River, a new
twist has been added with a recent statement from PacifiCorp Energy that says
the company is willing to consider removing five power dams as part of
settlement negotiations to solve Native American, farm irrigator and fishing
issues.
The dams are currently undergoing a 50 year licensing renewal process with the
federal government.
“The company continues to believe that the settlement process is the right
place to work on and resolve the complex issues in the Klamath Basin,” the
PacifiCorp statement says. “Thus, PacifiCorp does not oppose settlement
opportunities, including dam removal, as long as any settlement safeguards the
economic interests of our customers and respects the company's ownership
rights in the project facilities.”
Glenn Spain of the Pacific Coast Fisherman's Association
says it is welcome news.
“It's the first time anything has been heard in public that the dams are
negotiable,” Spain said. “Obviously, it solves the fish passage problem.
If the dams were taken down, it would move the whole basin away from the brink
of crises every year.”
Earlier this year, the federal government severely reduced the salmon catch
because of low numbers of fish resulting in the declaration of a federal
economic disaster for Oregon and California coastal fisherman.
Greg Addington, executive director of Klamath Water Users
Association, which represents farmers, said the idea is worth exploring.
“We don't want to be a roadblock to negotiations,” Addington said.
“We're pretty amenable. We don't have a pre-position, but we do have
questions.”
The Klamath Project is located in south central Oregon and north central
California. The total area is approximately 5,700 square miles.
The Klamath Reclamation Project was begun in 1905 to reclaim
land from lakes and marshland for farming. Water diversions continued unabated
through the building of Iron Gate Dam, one of five on the Klamath River, in
1962. More than 230,000 acres of farmland are now irrigated by the Project.
The last five years have seen water cut off to farmers to save fish and water
restored to farmers with low river flows blamed for tens of thousands of dying
fish.
Numerous conflicting scientific studies have not been able to definitively
come up with a solution acceptable to all interests, but a recent report from
the National Academy of Science recommended studying removing some of the dams
as a possible way of restoring the eco-system to improve fish habitat.
PacifiCorp president Bill Fehrman personally added his voice
to the issue.
“We have heard the tribes' concerns,” Fehrman said. “We are not opposed
to dam removal or other settlement opportunities as long as our customers are
not harmed and our property rights are respected.”
PacifiCorp spokesperson Dave Kvamme said the statement was posted at the
request of the Native American tribes involved in settlement negotiations that
have been ongoing for two years. He said the negotiations also include fishing
interests and area farmers.
“Our 50 year license for the dams is up,” Kvamme said.
“We're on a year to year license now. By law, we have to get relicensed.”
Although Pacificorp has put the dams on the negotiating table, Kvamme said the
company intends to continue with fish passage mitigations that would not
include taking down the dams.
“We proposed trap and transport to get the fish over the dams,” Kvamme
said. “Federal regulators are requiring fish ladders and screens. We are
challenging the federal prescription with an appeal before an administrative
law judge.”
Kvamme said the company has successfully negotiated six
similar settlement agreements, but that the Klamath poses special problems.
“The Klamath issues are far more polarized,” Kvamme said. “We'd love to
find a way to settle here. Our position on the dams remains the same as long
as it protects our customers and out interests.”
Kvamme noted the dams produce 161 megawatts of electricity, enough to power
70,000 residential customers for a year.
He said if a decision is made to take down the dams, it
would be a long process.
“We are in the process of removing a dam in another area. It has taken
several years just for the permits,” Kvamme said. “We're not even there
yet.”
Spain said the dam removal would significantly increase salmon habitat and
improve water quality.
“Depending on estimates, there are 100 to 250 available
stream miles above Iron Gate dam. Historically, salmon were abundant in the
upper basin,” Spain said. “Warm water reservoirs behind the dams have
become breeding grounds for parasites and toxic algae. A free flowing river is
cooler.”
Parasites and warm water have been blamed in some quarters for fish die-offs.
Spain said better water quality could help solve fish, farmer conflicts.
“There would still be water over-allocation, but the water
quality would be somewhat offset by better water quality,” Spain said.
“That's why the irrigators are taking a close look.”
Spain said with the licensing renewal up, the issue needs to be fully
explored.
“The dams provide no irrigation, no flood control and a small amount of
power,” Spain said. “We get one chance in 50 years. Now is the time.”
Addington said the dams do not affect the irrigators, but that their power
would be potentially affected.
“From a water delivery standpoint, the dams have no effect on our water
supply,” Addington said. “We do have an association with the dams for
power. We have had a 50 year preference rate. The contract has expired and we
maintain an interest in the dams.”
Addington said dam removal could improve water quality, but that decision
needs to weighed carefully.
“There are good arguments that removing the dams would improve species
habitat, but once they are down they will never come back,” Addington said.
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