Demolishing four hydroelectric dams along the Klamath River, three in California and one in Oregon, is a dumb and harmful idea. Unfortunately, it seems that the train has already left the station, and being dumb and harmful won’t stop its progress. As I have attempted to point out in columns over the past several years (a futile gesture, it seems) there are a million reasons why removing the dams is an incredibly stupid idea. A million? Well maybe that’s an exaggeration, but maybe not. Here are a few of the reasons, along with links to my articles.
- Back in August, 2011, the U.S. Department of Interior spent more than a half million dollars on a fraudulent survey to convince the U.S. Congress to authorize dam removal. But Congress was smart enough not to buy it and refused, so dam demolition proponents did an end-run and went to a bureaucratic unelected agency, the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) to get approval. How could they do that? THE DAMS – THE GOVERNMENT’S FRAUDULENT SURVEY – Bob Kaster
- Those who want to tear down the dams claim that the decline of salmon population is because the dams prevent anadromous fish from travelling further upriver to spawn. But there is convincing evidence that other natural impediments historically prevented them from doing that, and that tearing down the dams won’t make a difference. Also, there should be more to the conversation than just about the fish. There are other wildlife species that inhabit the river and the reservoirs, such Canada Goose, Sandpiper, Western Pond Turtle, and Crayfish, to name a few. They don’t all depend on the reservoirs to flourish, but some do. Dam demolition proponents don’t talk about them. DON’T GIVE UP TRYING TO SAVE THE DAMS. IT’S ABOUT MORE THAN THE FISH. – Bob Kaster
- Aren’t the people that want to take out the dams the same people that are concerned about climate change, drought, wildfires, and reliance on fossil fuels for energy? The dams conserve water, create clean energy, and facilitate firefighting. It’s important to keep the reservoirs in place to help regulate and control the flow dynamics of the river, particularly if we face more drought and more temperature extremes in the future. Scary Headlines and Dams – Bob Kaster
- The Klamath River reservoirs have become a part of Siskiyou County’s wonderfully diverse beauty and landscape, and are important to its recreation-based tourism, a mainstay of our struggling economy. Tearing them down is a slap in the face to the people who live here, who are forced to pay the cost through electric utility rates and taxes, and who will bear the brunt of having a valuable recreational and fire suppression resource torn away by decisions made by people a long distance away. HOW HIGH CAN A SALMON JUMP? – Bob Kaster
- As for dam removal, there are a few core issues I just can’t ignore. A few years ago, it was up to the United States Congress to decide whether to take out the dams. Congress didn’t do it. So mysteriously the decision now is in the hands of FERC, an unelected administrative agency under the auspices of the US Department of Energy. I still haven’t figured out how that happened. DAM IS NOT A FOUR-LETTER WORD – Bob Kaster
- The proponents of dam destruction proudly proclaim that in February of 2010, PacifiCorp (who owned the dams) and several state, federal, and local agencies, non-governmental organizations, individuals, and Native American tribes entered into the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA). This agreement, which has subsequently been amended, was what originally set the demolition project in motion. Unfortunately, the signatories of this agreement of “stakeholders” did not include the governments of either Siskiyou or Klamath County, where the dams are located, or their cities, or their citizens. In fact, the citizens of the two counties disapproved the project by overwhelming 80% margins on ballot measures. The agreements entered into among “stakeholders” significantly did not include the majority of people actually living in the Oregon and California counties in which the dams are located. THE DAMS – CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER – Bob Kaster
The above reasons dam removal is a terrible idea are the tip of the iceberg, and I have articulated them in previous columns. Many more are listed in an informational pamphlet recently promoted by the Siskiyou County Water Users Association and can be seen below:
