The Klamath Secretarial Determination Stakeholder
Technical Management Team Briefing addressed the
various issues under analysis as part of the Klamath
Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) and the
Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, which set out a
plan for the possible removal of four dams along the
Klamath River and a restoration plan for the basin.
Attending the meeting were a number of
representatives from various agencies, including the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Reclamation,
Department of the Interior, Siskiyou County, Hoopa
Tribe, Karuk Tribe and a number of others.
Under the KHSA, the secretary of the interior is
tasked with deciding whether or not the removal of
four dams along the Klamath River – Iron Gate, Copco
1, Copco 2 and J.C. Boyle – would increase salmonid
fish populations and whether or not the removal
would be in the public interest.
According to Dennis Lynch, program manager for the
science team, the secretarial determination will be
informed by two “tracks” of research, composed of
analysis in a secretarial determination overview
report and environmental review according to the
California Environmental Quality Act and the
National Environmental Policy Act.
With interactions from those in attendance,
presenters gave updates on the status of the
economics, cultural and tribal, real estate,
hydrological, sediment and biological studies, among
others.
Throughout the next week, the Siskiyou Daily News
will feature articles detailing information provided
to attendees and the questions and concerns that
were raised.