Reaction mixed as likelihood dams may come down hits home

Some local residents blasted the decision by states and PacifiCorp to move toward removing the dams, while environmentalists celebrated.

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and PacifiCorp Chairman and CEO Greg Abel signed a non-binding agreement yesterday that would begin the removal process providing a four-year study finds the removal to be feasible.

Jim Burney, who owns an RV resort and restaurant near the base of Iron Gate Dam,  said he is disappointed to learn the Klamath dams may be coming down.

“This is a very sad situation when you consider the fact the residents never get to be heard from,” Burney said. “We will be flooded in December, January and February. Then there will be no water in the river for salmon come August, September and October.” Burney, who owns the Fish Hook and is also building a new lodge beside the river, blasted the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors for not doing enough to try to prevent dam removal. Although the board said it opposed removing the dams, Burney said it could have played a bigger role in fighting to keep them.

“We are the people who are going to be affected, not the people in Southern California, Phoenix, Ariz., or Ohio,” Burney said. “The state is overriding the local thoughts as far as the Klamath River is concerned.”

Montague rancher Leo T. Bergeron agreed, calling the agreement “absolutely ridiculous.”
“I can’t believe it is in the best interest of this county or even this state or the country to actively seek to eliminate clean power generation facilities,” he said. “We are suffering power outages on a regular basis and have been for a number of years, and predictions are it will get worse in the future.”

He added that the “only sensible thing about the agreement” is that it requires years of study before a final decision is made.

Anthony Intiso, secretary of the board of directors on the Upper Mid Klamath Watershed Council, said that several studies show that the problem in the river originates from Oregon.

“It’s not the dams,” he said.

Conservationist Felice Pace called dam removal “a necessary step to truly restoring the Klamath River,” at the same time warning that removing the dams “will not magically produce recovery.

“The devil is going to be in the details of what is in the agreement and the federal and state legislation that will be needed to implement it. Those who are negotiating on behalf of the river and the salmon should bear this in mind and should not agree to a deal which removes the dams but dooms the river and its salmon,” he added, urging Siskiyou County leaders to look out for what he says is the best interest of Siskiyou County.

A written statement released by numerous organizations including the Karuk Tribe, Klamath Tribes of Oregon and California Trout on Thursday asserted that the plan would “provide dependable irrigation deliveries to project farmers, a means to reconcile water rights disputes and ensure affordable renewable power for farm and ranching communities.”

CalTrout’s Mt. Shasta Program Manager Curtis Knight added that a lot of work remains to be done.

“We’re optimistic about this step – it’s a big one,” he said. “California Trout is very pleased to see that an Agreement In Principle has been reached between the governments and PacifiCorp, though there’s still a lot of work to do in the next six months to make this a binding agreement.”