Dam removal is safe alternative

Redding Record Searchlight Letter to the Editor

May 25, 2008

In her Monday "Speak Your Piece," Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong wrote that additional studies need to be done prior to removing the Klamath River dams. In fact, those studies and more are either complete or well under way. Many more studies will unfold before dam removal begins, but they are unlikely to change the basic facts as we understand them today.

Armstrong stressed potential risks of removing the dams, but no responsible party would continue to advocate for dam removal if it would significantly risk the health and safety of downstream communities and the natural environment. The reason for removing the dams, after all, is to benefit people and the environment.

The Coastal Conservancy filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2006 a series of in-depth, scientific studies that examined the possibility of removing the river's four lower dams. The studies concluded that the sediment trapped by the dams is free of any contamination that could pose a danger downstream, that the silt behind the dams would easily erode downstream with little if any flooding risk, and that, at a projected cost of less than $100 million, removal is a far more affordable way to protect the river's salmon than the estimated $300 million it would take to build fish ladders and other facilities. Estimated removal costs are also notably less than the $170 million in federal disaster relief now destined for commercial fishermen affected by the collapse of the Pacific salmon fishery.

Altogether, dam removal appears to be feasible, affordable, and the most sensible step toward restoring the Klamath River and its once magnificent salmon runs.

The Coastal Conservancy's studies, together with more recent documents pertaining to dam removal, are available from the Conservancy by calling (510) 286-0720. Additional materials about the Klamath Basin Hydroelectric Project can be found on the California Energy Commission's Web site, www.energy.ca.gov/klamath.

Sam Schuchat, Executive Officer California Coastal Conservancy

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Source:  http://www.redding.com/news/2008/may/25/does-das-office-comply-with-law/