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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A deal announced Tuesday paves the way for the largest dam demolition in U.S. history, a project that promises to reopen hundreds of miles of waterway along the border between l ‘Oregon and California salmon which is essential for the tribes but has fallen to next to nothing in recent years.
If approved, the deal would revive plans to remove four massive hydroelectric dams in the lower Klamath River, laying the groundwork for the most ambitious salmon restoration effort in history. The project on California’s second largest river is said to be at the forefront of a trend towards dam demolition in the United States as structures age and become less economically viable amid growing environmental health concerns. native fish.
Previous efforts to resolve issues in the Klamath Basin collapsed amid years of legal battles that generated mistrust among tribes, fishing groups, farmers and environmentalists, and the new deal could face more legal challenges. Some state and federal lawmakers have criticized it as a financially irresponsible overshoot by the leaders of Oregon and California.
“This dam removal is more than just a concrete future project. It is a new day and a new era, ”said Yurok Tribe President Joseph James. “To me that’s who we are, to have a free flowing river like the ones that came before us. … Our way of life will prosper with the disappearance of these dams.
A half-dozen tribes across Oregon and California, fishing groups and environmentalists had hoped to see demolition work begin as early as 2022. But those plans were blocked in July, when US regulators were questioned. whether the non-profit entity created to oversee the project could adequately respond to any cost overruns or accidents.
The new plan makes Oregon and California equal partners in the demolition with the nonprofit, called Klamath River Renewal Corporation, and adds $ 45 million to the project’s $ 450 million budget to mitigate these concerns. Oregon, California and utility PacifiCorp, which operates the hydroelectric dams and is owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway company, will each provide one-third of the additional funds.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must approve the deal. If accepted, it would allow PacifiCorp and Berkshire Hathaway to move away from aging dams that are more of an albatross than a profit generator, while addressing the concerns of regulators. Oregon, California and the nonprofit would jointly take over the hydroelectric license from PacifiCorp while the nonprofit would oversee the work.
Buffett said the reworked deal solves a “very complex challenge.”
“I recognize the importance of the removal of the Klamath Dam and the restoration of the river for the tribal people of the Klamath Basin,” Buffett said in a statement. “We appreciate and respect our tribal partners for their collaboration in reaching an agreement that delivers exceptional results for the river, as well as for future generations.
The four southernmost dams in a chain of six built in southern Oregon and far northern California from 1918 would be removed.
They were built solely for the production of electricity. They are not used for irrigation and are not managed for flood control. The lowest dam on the river, the Iron Gate, does not have a “fish ladder” or concrete falls that fish can cross.
This has blocked hundreds of kilometers of potential fish habitat and spawning grounds, and fish populations have dropped sharply in recent years. Salmon are central to the culture, beliefs and diet of half a dozen regional tribes, including the Yurok and Karuk – two parties to the agreement – and they have suffered deeply from this loss.
Klamath River Coho Salmon are listed as threatened under federal and California law, and their population in the river has fallen from 52% to 95%. Spring chinook, once the biggest comeback in Klamath Basin, are down 98%.
The fall chinook, the last to persist in significant numbers, has been so skinny in recent years that the Yurok called off fishing for the first time in tribal memory. In 2017, they bought fish from a grocery store for their annual salmon festival.
“It’s dark, but I want to hope that with the removal of the dam and with all the prayers we’ve been sending for all these years, the salmon can come back. If we just give them a chance, they will, ”said Chook-Chook Hillman, a member of the Karuk tribe who is fighting for the removal of the dam. “If you offer a good spot for salmon, it will always come home.”
PacifiCorp operates the dams as part of an extension of its hydroelectric license that expired for years. The permit was originally granted before modern environmental laws and its renewal would involve expensive renovations to install fish ladders. The utility said the energy produced by the dams was no longer a significant part of its portfolio.
In the original agreement, PacifiCorp was to transfer its license and contribute $ 200 million to opt out of the withdrawal project and avoid other costs and liabilities. An additional $ 250 million comes from a voter-approved California water bond.
US regulators, however, only agreed on the condition that PacifiCorp remain a co-licensee with the Klamath River Renewal Corporation – a non-starter for the public service.
Residents were caught in the middle. As the tribes watched the salmon dwindle, some owners around a huge reservoir created by one of the dams took legal action to stop the demolition.
They say the value of their waterfront properties has already halved due to media coverage associated with the demolition and they fear losing a water source to fight wildfires in a growing landscape. subject to fire. Many also oppose the use of taxpayer funds for the project.
U.S. Representative Doug LaMalfa, a Republican from California, said the deal put taxpayers in both states on the hook. Some Oregon state lawmakers have said Governor Kate Brown violated her constitutional authority by allowing the deal without the approval of lawmakers or voters.
Further upstream, farmers who depend on two other dams are watching closely. The removal of the lower four dams will not affect them directly, but they fear it will set a precedent for the removal of the dams on the Klamath.
More than 1,720 dams have been dismantled in the United States since 2012, according to American Rivers, and 26 states undertook dam removal projects in 2019 alone. The Klamath River Project would be by far the largest of its kind if it came to fruition.
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