Obtainable goals on the Klamath River

I have been an advocate of Klamath River dam removal since the early 1960s. When I first became involved, there was distrust and unfriendliness among virtually all the Klamath Basin residents. All that the residents of the Klamath basin had in common was the river itself. My main concern was that more dams and diversions would be built to send the Klamath River to Southern California.

After years of effort by many people throughout the basin, it is amazing to see the progress that has been made to help the Klamath River. The focus has changed from adversarial positioning to a mutual trust and cooperation among most of the participants.

For over two years the Klamath Settlement Group, representing Indians, farmers, commercial and sport fishermen, ranchers, state and federal government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, have worked together on a comprehensive solution for the Klamath Basin problems.

The resulting Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement is intended to lead to effective and durable solutions which: 1) in concert with the removal of four dams, will restore and sustain natural production and provide for full participation in ocean and river harvest opportunities of fish species throughout the Klamath Basin; 2) establish reliable water and power supplies which sustain agricultural uses, communities, and National Wildlife Refuges; and 3) contribute to the public welfare and the sustainability of all Klamath Basin communities.

Recently, PacifiCorp, the owner of the Klamath dams, the governors of California and Oregon, and the departments of Interior, Agriculture and Commerce have all signed an agreement in principle for dam removal.

Unfortunately, a few environmental groups and others continue to criticize any progress. They have no end point in mind, but are quick to pick apart the hard work of others. Many of these groups and individuals became interested in the Klamath River only when the public's awareness was raised by the 2002 fish die-off. The environmental groups realized the great fundraising potential of advertising their alleged work for the Klamath River. The Klamath problems have spawned a new growth industry of professed scientific “experts” who are more than willing (for a fee, of course) to give their opinion on the result of enacting some of these complicated solutions.

One does not need to be an “expert” to understand the effects of dams. Dams block the upstream and downstream movement of fish. Thus blocked from their breeding and rearing sites, the fish population dies. Removing the dams will allow the fish to make a comeback.

We must not lose sight of the now obtainable goals on the Klamath River. As my old friend Tim McKay frequently pointed out, we only get the chance to remove the Klamath dams every 50 years.

Denver Nelson is a Eureka resident and river advocate.