Tribes Demonstrate For Klamath River Dam Demolition
By Kristian Foden-Vencil, Oregon Public Broadcasting
August 2, 2006

PORTLAND, OR Several Indian tribes from the Oregon-California border marched through Portland Wednesday to call for the demolition of four dams along the Klamath River. As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, contrary to the outcome of many such marches, they got more than the usual brush-off from authorities.

(Sound of demonstrators singing.)

About 150 members of the Yurock, Karuck, Hoopa, and Klamath tribes began their demonstration with prayers and a song. Ronnie Reed, a ceremonial dip-net fisherman at Ishi Pishi Falls, says they're here to push Pacificorp into taking the Iron Gate, Copco, and JC Boyles dams down so salmon, steelhead, and coho can once again reach 350 miles of spawning habitat.

Ronnie Reed: "Last year we caught less than 200 fish at our fishery. I represent the Karuck Tribe of California and we have over 3,400 tribal members, so catching less than 200 fish at our fishery is an absolute problem, it's a travesty, not only to our tribal members' health, but also it's our way of life."

Reed says The Karuck have only had access to modern foods for a few generations, since 1850.

Ronnie Reed: "Tribal members have a shock to your body when all of a sudden you have all these foreign foods coming into our system, and genetically I don't believe our system can handle it. And so when we have all these starch-rich coming into our system -- it contributes to diabetes, obesity, hypertension, all these huge issues out there that are astronomical, four or five times the national average for tribal members."

He says members of the tribe miss being able to fish for salmon, hunt for deer and enjoy the land as "The Creator" intended.

(Sound of chanting.)

At the march, hundreds of people carry signs reading "First the Buffalo, Now the Salmon," and "Don't Dam our Future."

Reed burns ceremonial angelica root and several female elders sport large blue tattoos on their chins.

(Sound of chanting.)

The four dams were built between 1917 and 1962, but they're not large, compared to Bonneville or The Dalles. One is simply a pile of earth and rock. None have fish ladders.

The dams have generated a lot of interest, however, as they're up for relicensing -- a complex federal process that can force owners to install expensive new equipment, like fish ladders. And environmentalist Stormy Stotts says this is the time for action. That's why she drove to Portland for the rally from the Klamath Basin.

Stormy Stotts: "This is the first time in 50 years that they've come up for relicensing, so it's really the chance of a lot of people's lifetime to have the opportunity for them to come down."

The tribes say that in purely financial terms, putting in new fish ladders would cost twice as much as tearing the dams down.

The figures are not lost on PacifiCorp, whose president responded to news of the demonstration by saying, "We are not opposed to dam removal."

Craig Tucker, a member of the Karuk tribe, says that's new.

Craig Tucker: "We're looking at it with guarded optimism, we're going to have to have some action to go behind those words. But we think this could happen. It could be the most visionary river restoration effort in American history when it does happen."

For years PacifiCorp has been in negotiations with tribes, commercial fishers, the states, and Klamath basin farmers, to try and reach a compromise on what to do about the dams.

Company spokesman Dave Kvamme says there is now a new company president and he'd much rather reach some kind of settlement than fight what he calls "the Byzantine federal regulatory process."

Dave Kvamme: "If we can find a settlement that includes dam removal and addresses our customer needs and property rights, we're willing to go there. That said, we've been in settlement talks for a long time and we've always had dam removal as one of the potential outcomes in these talks."

The tribes says it's now up to the feds and Governors Kulongoski and Schwartzenegger to put together a package that allows PacifiCorp to make enough money -- on a new wind farm, say -- to justify removing the dams.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has set a 2007 deadline for relicensing the dams. But it does have the power to push that deadline back if the tribes, irrigators, fishermen, and the governors are still in negotiation.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and as defined under the provisions of "fair use", any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment for non-profit research and for educational use by our membership.

Positive Momentum
By John Driscoll, Eureka Times Standard
August 4, 2006

As dozens of American Indians marched on a hydropower conference in Portland, Ore., the owner of several dams on the Klamath River said it would consider dam removal as a settlement to a long dispute over salmon and water quality.

The statement reinforced the shift Pacificorp has made in the months since billionaire investor Warren Buffet's MidAmerican Energy Holdings bought the utility and with it four dams that block salmon from historic spawning grounds. The Indians, including Yurok and Karuk people, have seized on the apparently increasing willingness to take out the dams to garner political support.

”We have heard the tribes' concerns,” said Pacificorp President Bill Fehrman. “We are not opposed to dam removal or other settlement opportunity as long as our customers are not harmed and our property rights are respected.”

The tribes have taken that as a sign that the company is starting to listen. As always with such complicated discussions, the devil would be in the details. But the statement comes during a year when the Klamath's perennial problems are particularly acute. Virtually no commercial fishing, and limited sport and tribal fishing, has been allowed for hundreds of miles north and south of the Klamath to protect a weak run of salmon expected to return this fall.

”We are seeing positive momentum on the issue of dam removal,” said Yurok Tribal Chairman Howard McConnell, “and Mr. Fehrman's latest comments are very encouraging. The next step is to pair action with words.”

In a joint news release, tribes called on Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski to develop incentives like tax credits for developing renewable power sources to help replace 151 megawatts the dams produce. That's enough to produce power for 70,000 homes.

California has already expressed willingness to move forward with a decommissioning and removal process. And legislators have included some $497 million -- in various pools and for unspecified uses -- that could be used toward that end, said Arcata Democratic Sen. Wesley Chesbro's office.

What's changed since MidAmerican took over is much of Pacificorp's management. Pacificorp spokesman Dave Kvamme said that Fehrman has invested lots of time in the settlement process.

”This is just his style, he likes to be involved with things that matter,” Kvamme said. “A resolution of things on the Klamath is something I think he would like to see.”

Arthur Baggett Jr., member of the State Water Resources Control Board, a lead negotiator for the state, voiced optimism about Pacificorp's statement. Baggett could not comment on the talks, citing a confidentiality pact.

”The statement is helpful,” Baggett said. “The discussions are at a useful stage.”

The California Resources Agency also took note of Tuesday's statement from Pacificorp.

”We're encouraged by Pacificorp's statement today,” said resource agency spokesman Sandy Cooney, “as it seems to signal constructive ways toward resolution.”

The hydroelectric project was built beginning in 1908, with the last dam in place by 1962. The lowermost dam, 173-foot Iron Gate Dam, blocks salmon from tributaries above it, and streams flowing into Upper Klamath Lake. That habitat is radically altered from what it was 150 years ago, and all parties agree that major restoration would be required -- beyond just removing dams -- to improve those spawning grounds for salmon.

As part of a federal relicensing process, agencies have pressed Pacificorp to install fish ladders over the dams. Pacificorp has appealed that requirement to an administrative law judge, who will hear the matter later this month. Putting in fish ladders could cost well over $140 million, and Pacificorp has hoped to trap fish and truck them above the dams, then trap juvenile fish later to truck them below the dams.

But Kvamme said that the company has hopes that the settlement process will prove preferable to the relicensing process.

The California Coastal Conservancy, in trying to determine how much sediment is trapped behind the dams and what toxins might be present in it, has sampled the muck in recent months. While a final analysis of the material is not yet done, the conservancy has said there may be significantly less sediment behind the dams than first expected, and that the samples that have been tested have been relatively clean.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and as defined under the provisions of "fair use", any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment for non-profit research and for educational use by our membership.