Klamath Hydroelectric Dams Destruction Articles toc 2019

Klamath Hydroelectric Dams Destruction
Articles, Press Releases, Newsletters
2019

KBRA PAGE HERE FOR AUDIO / VIDEO PAGE	Strategy to form the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement: Cal/EPA Environmental Justice Action Plan May 18, 2005. Lead Agency: State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)
KBC's KRRC / Klamath River Renewal Corporation (Dam Destruction Group) Page
Herald and News Poll Results: Will you benefit from Klamath dam Destruction? 1/29/19
WARNING: Stephen Koshy Page: Clay-Core Dam Engineer Stephen Koshy's scientific reports, letters, and government correspondence regarding his prediction of the imminent catastrophic collapse if the Klamath Hydroelectric Dams are destroyed.
Water coalition aims to coordinate conservation efforts, H&N 11/19/19. "The Coalition of the Willing, a group of about 50 to 60 individuals...hired a facilitator whose salary is being financed in part by county funds, with pledges made by state and federal entities....Dan Keppen and Craig Tucker informally chair the stakeholders coalition." Craig Tucker, Karuk Tribe spokesman, KBRA voting member, and a founder and board member of Klamath Riverkeeper. He joined Green Corps, specialized in community organizing and social justice, outreach director for Friends of the River, He is Campaign Coordinator for the Karuk Tribe's 'Bring the Salmon Home' campaign. "The goal: removal of four dams on the Klamath River which would represent the largest dam removal project in history." "we worked with the Klamath Project irrigators, the enemies of the tribes since those guys showed up; we did work out a water sharing agreement. ...We did not solve all the problems in the Klamath Basin with these agreements. We did not get rid of all the farmers, we did not rebuild all the wetlands, but we do pull off the biggest dam removal in the history of the world...and if we're still gonna deal with water quality issues at Keno, at the end of the day, I can guarantee the Karuk Tribe and Craig Tucker will be in the front seat dealing with that next." Dan Keppen: is presently is executive director of Family Farm Alliance and Klamath Water Users Association / KWUA public relations employee. He was engineer and media consultant for the former KWAPA / Klamath Water and Power Agency for KWUA On Project Plan, which was included in the KBRA / Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. Keppen was with Northern California Water Association, and employed by the Bureau of Reclamation before coming to Klamath Falls in 2001 to work as executive director of KWUA.
*12/21/19 - Comments Due February 6 regarding Klamath Dam removal on the recirculated portions of the Draft EIR. NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OF RECIRCULATED PORTIONS OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE LOWER KLAMATH PROJECT LICENSE SURRENDER FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION PROJECT NO. 14803 *California waterboard seeks more feedback on dam removal, H&N 12/24/19 *FYI: Strategy to form the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement: Cal/EPA Environmental Justice Action Plan May 18, 2005. Lead Agency: State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). "It may be the desire of the Tribes to restore the river to the pre-European settlement condition.... Restoration will likely need to increase flows, which might result in reduced agricultural water supply. To achieve necessary reductions funding may be required to purchase and fallow agricultural lands."

* Klamath River Compact Commission boosts visibility, H&N 10/29/19. * Susan Miller, Environmental Advisor for Siskiyou County Water Users Assoc, responds to Klamath Compact Commission meeting: "...information being presented should reflect all sides or viewpoints on a particular issue, rather than strictly being from the environmental agencies’ perspective only...We asked for equal time to present alternative scientific evidence and viewpoints and were refused...both environmental agencies represented by the two state commissioners are signatories of the Amended KHSA. Additionally, (Commission's Federal representative)Chrysten Lambert of Trout Unlimited...has glaring conflicts of interest..." KBC NOTE: scroll to the bottom of our KRRC (Klamath dam removal group) leadership page regarding some of Lambert's conflicts of interest.
* Opinion: Klamath dam removal is not a partisan issue, H&N 10/23/19, by guest Jason Atkinson, "a former Oregon state legislator for 14 years, wrote and produced the film “A River Between Us” documenting the restoration of the Klamath River. He is a Rodel Fellow with the Aspen Institute, which receives financial support from George Soros’s Open Society Institute: https://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individuals/george-soros/ Soros financially supports many of the environmental groups and tribes that have litigated against the farmers’ and ranchers’ water rights, power rates, and those trying to save our Klamath hydro dams: http://klamathbasincrisis.org/funding thedemise/Soros/georgesorostoc.htm Soros’s history is very enlightening, a must read: http://klamathbasincrisis.org/fundingthedemise/Soros/history.htm : gun control, marijuana legalization, Clintons and Obama.... * Perspectives on Klamath River dam removal by Rex Cozzalio, 4th generation rancher by Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River 11/8/19. This is a response to former legislator Jason Atkinson's support of destroying Klamath River Dams. Subject - dams and: irrigators, toxic algae, deadly C Shasta, habitat, power and PacifiCorp.
Response by Siskiyou County Water Users to KRRC article in Siskiyou Daily News regarding Denial by California Water Resources for Clean Water Permit for Klamath Dam Removal 10/9/19. "...Water Quality Board which is the lead agency for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is stating that KRRC has not met the stringent requirements imposed to protect the environment. The Water Board therefore cannot certify the project without proper protection...Besides this issue the KRRC which was gifted more than Twenty-five Million Dollars by the California Natural Resources Agency as part of an eventual total of taxpayer dollars exceeding $250,000,000 (Bond Funds) much of which appears to have been spent in a creative and complex public relations effort, is a long ways from getting Federal Energy Resources Commission (FERC) approval. An additional $200,000,000 will come from PacifiCorp ratepayers. This shouldn’t be surprising as until 2016 the KRRC didn’t exist except as an idea hatched in a law firm in New York City..."
Motion to FERC by Del Norte County to intervene in Klamath dam removal proceedings 9/11/19.
California State Water Resources Control Board denies water quality certification to KRRC, Klamath dam removal group 9/3/19.
Inconvenient Truths: A little common sense on Klamath dam removal would go a long way, Range Magazine Fall 2019 Issue, by Theodora Johnson, posted to KBC 8/21/19. "There's a heap of evidence that flies in the face of the dam-removal activists' claims--evidence that shows dam removal could be epically catastrophic for all wildlife and people on the Klamath."
Groups sue over Klamath River water: KRRC's dam removal efforts continue, OPB 8/8/19. KBC NOTE: The attorneys for the Yurok Tribe and PCFFA (which created IFFR) is Earth Justice, funded by George Soros
Facilitator Mikkelsen to aid Interior on Klamath water talks, H&N 8/4/19. "Alan Mikkelsen, senior advisor to the Secretary of the Interior on water and western resource issues, said Friday he is continuing to take part in the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” meetings in addition to the facilitator...The coalition meetings are closed to the public and the media and are being held in Medford or Redding..." KBC NOTE: after the community's outrage over secret Klamath water settlement negotiations excluding public input or knowledge, our farm leaders and Interior assured us that there would be transparency in any future talks. Only allowed at the negotiation table were groups agreeing with destroying the Klamath hydroelectric dams.
Former commissioner Mallams urges board to fight dam removal, H&N Online 5/16/19. "Former Klamath County commissioner Tom Mallams urged current commissioners to take a strong, public stance against the Klamath River Renewal Corporation’s dam removal project at a Wednesday morning meeting...Mallams, accompanied by Siskiyou County Water Users Association president Rich Marshall, asked commissioners to sign a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission condemning removal of the J.C. Boyle dam in Klamath and three others in Jackson and Siskiyou counties. Draft Letter to FERC
PacifiCorp and Tribes applaud selection of Kiewit, H&N 5/10/19. "The Karuk and Yurok tribes, both parties to the amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, applauded both developments as key steps in facilitating enactment of the KHSA..."
Kiewit wins dam removal contract from KRRC, H&N 4/26/19 * Kiewit positions for Klamath dam pillage, by Rex Cozzalio, member of SCWUA / Siskiyou County Water Users Association, 1/18/19
Utility offers updates on dams, forest fires, H&N 4/21/19. "The utility is planning to off-load its dams to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) by transferring the operating licenses and, with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) approval, decommission them for removal." The biggest concern is the liability from the yards of sediment backed up behind the dams that will flow down the Klamath River to the sea.
Klamath Tribes at water coalition talks, H&N 4/21/19.
ITTSD Motion for leave to File Amicus Brief, filed by Lawrence A. Kogan 3/19/19, regarding Klamath Dam Removal. ITSSD Amicus Curiae Brief, filed by Lawrence A Kogan In Re Siskiyou County Water Users Association, Petitioner on Petition for Writ of Mandamus 3/19/19: "...The States, by assisting USG to shift jurisdiction over (Klamath) dam removal from EPA to DOI and FERC, effectively freed DOI from conducting the rigorous EPA-required scientific assessment of the significant risks to human health and welfare dam removal would trigger upon release of decades of contaminants accumulated in the dam reservoir bottoms..."
THE GREAT EXPERIMENT, DECEPTION Dam removal report sparks HOPE for Klamath Basin Ag, H&N by dam removal liason Dave Maurer 3/13/19. "...dam removal MIGHT mean more water for farmers..." "...dam removal MAY have something big to offer..." "...dam removal COULD free up more water (for farmers)..." "...ESA MIGHT loosen its grip on the region..." "...HOPEFULLY we'll have more salmon..." "...POSSIBILITY of using this 50,000 acre feet of water for crops..." "...dam removal will LIKELY reduce or eliminate the biological necessity for spring dilution flows..." "...IF the conditions triggering the court order are addressed by the benefits of dam removal, this COULD result in a real and measurable benefit to farmers. IT ISN'T A GUARANTEE..." "...We BELIEVE that river restoration will help communities..."
KRRC decision reversed, H&N 3/14/19.
In split vote, Klamath County OKs deal for dam removal, H&N 3/13/19.
*******Public Comments Due Feb 26 on Klamath Dam Draft Environmental Impact Report
Both sides represented at Klamath Dams removal meeting in Yreka, Siskiyou Daily News, posted to KBC 2/10/19. KBC NOTE: An attendee called to inform us that most dam removal supporters were tribes from downriver from where another water board meeting will be held. Also, no meetings will be held in Klamath Basin.
PRESS RELEASE: Siskiyou County Water Users: Hearing scheduled for DC Circuit Court on Writ of Mandamus regarding Klamath Dams, KRRC and Klamath Compact, SCWUA 2/8/19
Interior's Bernhardt keeps Mikkelsen in Klamath adviser position, H&N 2/8/19 Trump to nominate former lobbyist Bernhardt for Interior secretary, Washington Post 2/5/19
Water talks resume Feb. 12 in Medford, H&N 2/3/19. “ 'We have an imbalance in the Basin of needs and resources,' Mikkelsen said." KBC Note: this repeats government 2001 water shutoff rhetoric, which screamed to the farmers that the 'best available science' says there's 'not enough water to go around.' After the shutoff, bankruptcies, suicides, heart attacks, and auctions, the National Academy of Science stated the shutoff was "unjustified." Before the Klamath Project was built, there were up to 30 feet of water where our farms are now
Klamath Dam removal contractor holds Q&A January 29th, H&N 1/27/19
Agency analyzes impacts of removing Klamath River dams, H&N 1/4/19. "Plans to remove four hydroelectric dams on the lower Klamath River would benefit the region far more than keeping them in place, according to a draft environmental impact report by the California State Water Resources Control Board." Strategy to form the Dam Destruction/Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement: Cal/EPA Environmental Justice Action Plan May 18, 2005. Lead Agency: State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)