Tribal, state and federal government leaders gathered at the Iron Gate Fish Hatchery in Hornbrook, CA, on Dec. 8 to celebrate the removal of four dams along the Klamath River and the restoration of nearly 400 miles of the river and its tributaries.
The celebration occurred after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave its final approval in November for a plan to remove four dams on the Klamath River in California and Oregon.
“Clean water, healthy forests and fertile land made the Klamath Basin and its surrounding watershed home to Tribal communities, productive agriculture and abundant populations of migratory birds, suckers, salmon and other fish,” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said at the ceremony. “But over the past 20 years, the Basin has been met with unprecedented challenges due to ongoing drought conditions and limited water supply.”
Haaland also announced that four Tribal water projects in the Klamath River Basin will receive $5.8 million through the Bureau of Reclamation to “restore aquatic ecosystems, improve the resilience of habitats, and mitigate the effects of the ongoing drought crisis.”
Also in attendance were Govs. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Kate Brown (D-OR), Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), Yurok Tribe Chairman Joseph James and Karuk Tribe Chairman Russell “Buster” Attebery.
“Today we celebrate a historic victory for the health of the Klamath River and the well-being of all the communities, livelihoods and ecosystems that depend on this vital waterway,” Newsom said at the ceremony.
“We also celebrate the resilience and tenacity of the many partners who have advanced a powerful shared vision for this effort over 15 years to bring us to this moment. The incredible progress we have made proves that working together, we can forge a path forward through complex challenges to create a brighter future for all.”
Background
In 2006, the license to operate the four Klamath River hydroelectric dams expired, and subsequently, PacifiCorp (a utility company owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy), state and federal agencies, Tribes and other stakeholders began negotiations to remove the dams and address fish populations, river health and Tribal cultures. The parties in 2010 executed the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, which provided a plan for decommissioning and removing the J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2 and Iron Gate dams, contingent on the passage of federal legislation and approval by the secretary of the Interior. However, the necessary legislation was never passed.
In 2016, after years of negotiations, the groups executed the Amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, which outlined the process to transfer the dam project to a dam-removal entity, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC).
In 2020, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the parties. Early the next year, KRRC, PacifiCorp, California and Oregon filed a new license transfer application to transfer the project to KRRC and the states, which would be co-licensees. In June 2021, FERC approved the transfer application. FERC found that KRRC was qualified to decommission the dams, and having the states as co-licensees “would provide additional legal and technical expertise, as well as further assurance there would be sufficient funding to carry out the surrender proposal if approved.”
After a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) was issued in February 2022, FERC issued a final EIS on Aug. 26.
Following FERC’s final approval on Nov. 17, California, Oregon and KRRC formally became co-licensees to carry out the removal of the dams and fully implement the Amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement signed in 2016.
“For so many people, today is the culmination of a lifetime of work to restore the healthy waters and fish stocks of the Klamath Basin,” Brown said at the ceremony. “It has taken a broad coalition working together to finally realize the removal of these dams and that over 400 miles of the Klamath River will flow freely again. This is an incredibly important step forward on the path towards restorative justice for the peoples of the Klamath Basin and towards restoring health to the river, as well as everyone and everything that depends on it.”
Tribal leaders spoke about the decades-long work to remove the dams and restore the Klamath Basin ecosystem, allowing salmon to run freely.
“Today’s celebration was well earned by the thousands of people who fought for clean water, healthy fisheries and environmental justice for Klamath River communities,” Attebery said at the ceremony. “I am grateful to everyone—from the youth to the elders, Govs. Newsom and Brown and the team from PacifiCorp—who made this possible.”
According to a press release from the governors, the Copco No. 2 Dam will be removed as soon as the summer of 2023 under the approved plan, with the removal of the J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1 and Iron Gate dams planned for 2024. — Charles Wallace, WLJ editor
