November 12, 2005

The process of relicensing PacifiCorp’s Klamath River hydropower project is dauntingly complex from every angle. The utility, tribes, fishermen, environmentalists and farmers all are trying to put their best foot forward during the process, knowing that the federal government’s ultimate decision next year will stick for up to 50 years.

It’s important to put today’s story about PacifiCorp’s representation of a report it didn’t care for in light. The report found that taking out the company’s dams would be the best alternative for salmon. It’s perhaps not surprising that PacifiCorp has a different take; after all, if that’s the chosen option, its project is gone.

The report relies on highly technical modeling to rank the numerous alternatives for allowing fish to get above the dams to spawn. Like most models, there are significant uncertainties involved, and they cannot predict the future. What the report does is give some basis on which to make a decent decision, a decision whose outcome can’t possibly be known until after it’s been carried out.

PacifiCorp’s cynical opinion that salmon won’t be able to live above the dams runs counter to historical accounts of salmon running into the tributaries even above Upper Klamath Lake. The company appears to be positioning itself for the best deal possible when the feds demand it mitigate for the harm the project does to salmon.

Other huge questions loom: What are the causes of rampant fish diseases in the Klamath? How do PacifiCorp’s dams affect water quality? What’s behind the dams, and what harm could be done if the dams are taken out?

The federal process is meant to ferret out as many answers as possible. It is in the best interest of all involved to be abundantly honest, despite the stakes involved.

We continue to call for a complete analysis of removing all the dams. We want the best for the fish -- and with it what’s best for our coastal economy -- and recognize that no crystal ball can fully assure that taking one action over another will meet expectations. Being honest throughout ensures the fewest mistakes.