Regulators Cling to Klamath Dams
By John Driscoll, Eureka Times-Standard
September 26, 2006

Pulling out two dams could significantly improve conditions for salmon on the Klamath River, according to an analysis by federal energy regulators released Monday. But that's not what they're recommending.

Instead, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposes to modify dam owner Pacificorp's proposal to operate the Klamath hydro project for the next 50 years. That would include trapping adult salmon and moving them above the dams, then capturing young fish and moving them below the dams, like an artificial migration.

It would also mean possible engineering fixes for the wounded waterway, such as modifying Iron Gate Dam to send cooler water downstream, mildly altering flows in areas, and installing devices to pump air into oxygen-poor water.

The massive draft Environmental Impact Statement was issued before a ruling from an administrative law judge on federal fish and wildlife agencies' demands that fish ladders be built over the dams, and that screens be installed to keep young fish from being killed by turbines.

FERC chose not to fully analyze taking out all four dams that block many salmon from reaching spawning grounds, something many fishermen, tribes and conservation groups want. Poor runs of salmon on the Klamath have long subdued seasons and quotas for river anglers and commercial and sport fishermen on the West Coast. This year, the fishery was declared a multimillion-dollar failure.

”What else do you have to do to prove these dams are worthless that we haven't already done?” said Craig Tucker with the Karuk Tribe, which lives on the middle Klamath and has seen subsistence fishing opportunities evaporate.

Tucker said that FERC doesn't have the authority to overstep the recommendations of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Fish ladders and screens could cost $200 million or more, and FERC found that it would be substantially more expensive than taking out Iron Gate and Copco I dams.

FERC must impose the conditions that the fisheries agencies -- and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management -- demand.

”They know that at the end of the day, it has to be included in the license,” said Fish and Wildlife Program Analyst David Diamond. “They have no discretion whatsoever.”

But those conditions could be affected by the ruling of the administrative law judge, who is expectedto pass down his decision by the end of the month. Diamond said FERC obviously didn't find it important to wait for the judge's ruling.

Pacificorp spokesman Dave Kvamme also voiced some concern over the release of the document before the judge's decision. Pacificorp disputes the value of habitat between the dams to salmon, and so objects to the fisheries agencies' requirement for fish ladders. While the company is still reviewing the analysis, Kvamme said, it is certain that it will have to make major investments in the project if it gets a new license.

”The question is are those things going to be effective for helping fish?” Kvamme said.

But Troy Fletcher, a consultant with the Yurok Tribe, which has both subsistence and commercial fisheries for salmon on the lower river, wondered how FERC could leave dam removal out of the equation. He said it takes only a partial stab at the wide range of problems on the Klamath.

”FERC's meager reintroduction plan fails to take into consideration all the species that the agencies' terms and conditions address, such as spring salmon and lamprey eel,” Fletcher said.

California Resources Agency spokesman Sandy Cooney said the state remains committed to restoring the Klamath -- something he said is beyond the scope of FERC or the environmental document.

”What FERC has done here, while it's within its prerogative, is take the easy way out,” Cooney said.

The California Coastal Conservancy has found that removing the four lowermost dams on the Klamath is both feasible and affordable, said program manager Michael Bowen. Worries about how much sediment is behind the dams, and whether the muck contains toxins, have been eased under the conservancy's determination, he said.

”It's like the Western world is trying to restore Klamath salmon, and all that FERC and Pacificorp can come up with is a Jacuzzi and a spruced-up campground,” Bowen said.

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.

Feds Suggest Fish Get Lift Around Dams
By Michael Milstein, Oregonian
September 26, 2006

The federal government Monday proposed trucking salmon past dams to the upper Klamath River rather than breaching the dams or installing fish ladders so the fish can make it there on their own.

The proposal by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission frustrated Native American tribes and environmentalists who are pushing for removal of the dams that have long blocked the fish from reaching the upper river.

Klamath salmon have taken on a high profile this year because their low numbers triggered a closure of part of the West Coast salmon fishery.

The proposal came in a draft response to an application by PacifiCorp for a new 50-year license to continue operating the dams. It is not a final word, but suggests the federal agency does not favor removing the dams that generate electricity for Pacific Power.

However, operating behind the scenes is a set of confidential negotiations between Pacific Power, tribes, fishermen and conservationists. Those negotiations could completely up-end FERC's process if the talks result in agreement to remove the dams.

Troy Fletcher, of the Yurok Tribe, said that both sides in the case may negotiate and agree on a new solution that does not involve the judge. If they do, he said, they could bring their solution to the judge for his blessing.

Still, Monday's news came as a blow for Native Americans who depend on Klamath salmon.

"We're very disappointed," Fletcher said. Dam removal, "has been our position since day one."

But PacifiCorp officials argue it makes more sense to catch salmon and haul them in trucks past the dams to see if they can survive in the upper river before making major investments in fish ladders or dam breaching.

The environmental analysis, required by the National Environmental Policy Act, does not look at removing all four dams. That's an alternative favored by Native tribes, commercial fishermen and conservation groups, and formally recommended by NOAA Fisheries, the federal agency in charge of restoring threatened coho salmon in the Klamath River.

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.