Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis U

Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis
Upholding rural Americans' rights to grow food,
own property, and caretake our wildlife and natural resources.

http://kdrv.com/news/local/205173_ (http://kdrv.com/news/local/205173)

House approves amendment blocking funding for Klamath dam removal study

February 22, 2011

By Ron Brown & KDRV Staff

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Federal efforts to study the impacts of the possible removal of four hydroelectric dams from the Klamath River have taken a hit in Congress.

An amendment to the government's Funding bill seeking to cut $1.9 million from the Department of the Interior for further dam removal studies passed narrowly in the House by a 215-210 margin this week. The legislation was introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock (R- Calif.).

"Let me emphasize Congress has never authorized this study. Congress never authorized the Klamath settlement. The Bureau of Reclamation is moving forward with it anyway," McClintock said.

"It will exacerbate the already serious problems we face in the Klamath Basin watershed. I ask my colleagues to please join me in voting against this bad amendment," California Rep. Mike Thompson (D- Dist. 1) said.

Rep. Greg Walden (R- Ore.) and Rep. Wally Herger (R- Calif.) voted in favor of the amendment. All the Democratic members of the Oregon delegation voted against it. McClintock initially introduced a broader amendment that did not specify the dam-removal study. It also passed, although by a larger majority.

The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, KHSA, were signed by more than 30 groups in February of 2010, including then Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. If approved, they would lead to the largest dam removal in U.S. History. In total, both agreements amount to $1.5 billion, including $200-million funded by Oregon and $250-million by California.

With the agreements signed, the fate of dam removal lies in the hands of Congress and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, who has until 2012 to determine if dam removal is economically and environmentally safe. If the amendment is approved however, it could delay removal of the dams, which under the current agreement is scheduled to start in 2020.