Klamath Hydroelectric Dams Destruction
Articles, Press Releases, Newsletters
2020

 

Settlements, and Dam Removal 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.
 
 
*Siskiyou County Water Users Association letter to CPUC demanding equal time as PacifiCorp to articulate objection to the proposed transfer of Klamath Dams in Siskiyou County, 12/14/20. 

*PacifiCorp's three day notice of ex parte communication before the California Public Utilities Commission 12/11/2020.
Does Klamath dam removal even need an extra $45 million? H&N 12/12/2020. FOLLOWED BY COMMENTS from Klamath Basin Crisis Facebook page from retired Oregon State Representative Gail Whitsett, former Klamath County Commissioner Tom Mallams, and Pat Lunde.
Chinook salmonThe case of the disappearing chinook salmon, Capital Press 11/19/2020. "... a new study poses a question for which fisheries biologists and managers appear not to have an answer: Why are chinook salmon returns decreasing not only in rivers that have dams but also in those that don’t?...It would be folly to destroy the region’s river transportation system, irrigation system, power generation and economy and still not help the chinook."
 
PRESS RELEASE - Calif. U.S. Congressman LaMalfa Says He Will Keep Fighting Dam Removal After Announcement 11/17/2020
DEQ meeting announcement and Press Release: VIDEO Today: Governor Kate Brown, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Tribal Leaders and Owner of Klamath River Dams to Announce Historic Agreement in Virtual Event, followed by DEQ Press Release 11/17/2020
Memorandum of Agreement 11/13/2020 released today 11/17/2020. Top-down agreement between California and Oregon governors, PacifiCorp, KRRC, and Karuk and Yurok Tribes to destroy the Klamath River hydroelectric dams and make the taxpayers liable for everything that goes wrong.
New MOA on Klamath Dams results in further divided views and questions authority, Klamath Falls News 11/17/2020
Study finds salmon survival rates same with, without dams, Capital Press 11/13/2020. "Breaching the Snake River dams won’t necessarily improve the survival rate of chinook salmon, because returns of the fish appear to be similar everywhere, including areas with pristine freshwater habitats, a new study finds."
Saving salmon to feed orcas? Capital Press editorial 10/9/2020. "...Among the reasons they give for wanting the dams removed is to increase the number of native-run salmon — so orcas can eat them."
Idaho leads the way in water management, Capital Press 9/26/2020. "...In addition to expanding reservoir capacity behind dams, the state has an aggressive aquifer recharge effort underway." " ...should leaders in Washington, California and Oregon continue to succumb to the fad of taking out dams and face more water shortages, higher electricity costs and a jumbled transportation system as a result, they need only look to Idaho to see where they went wrong."
<Tucker's Facebook Photo. House passes bill aiming to expedite Klamath dam removal, H&N 9/25/2020. “ 'The Karuk Tribe lauds Congressman Huffman’s amendment,' said Craig Tucker, natural resource specialist for the Karuk Tribe. 'It’s irresponsible to allow PacifiCorp to operate these dams at status quo and continue the destruction of our fishery.' ” KBC NOTE: Craig Tucker: "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."
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."
Gov. Newsom Urges Billionaire Warren Buffett To Back Klamath Dam Removal, Without any follow up flood control systems, the area would be at risk,..’ California Globe 8/1/2020. “The Klamath dams are amazingly important up North,” explained dam engineer Kyle Richardson, who studied the dams for his Masters dissertation. “Protecting endangered species are important, but no one has really thought about what dam removal can bring. Without any follow up flood control systems, the area would be at risk. Electricity would have to come from elsewhere, and it wouldn’t be solar or wind most likely. That means fossil fuels and gas, and that means pollution from power plants. But it would be especially disastrous for the many farmers in California and Oregon. We’ve seen what dam changes did to the farmers in the Central Valley. Getting rid of the dams and reservoirs would just get rid of that faucet entirely, having them rely on the natural ebbs and flows largely, and that’s reckless. There is much more danger in tearing down the dams than keeping them up. It’s not even close.”
Siskiyou County Water Users Association letter to CPUD regarding FERCs directive to PacifiCorp and Klamath dam removal 7/30/2020. "The FERC in its wisdom and with a great deal of public input wisely decided that PacifiCorp could not shed the license and liability for the destruction that will result from removal of these hydro- electric clean energy facilities...We are requesting that the CPUC immediately suspend the transfer of rate payer funds to KRRC (the Klamath dam destruction group).

172 FERC ¶ 61,062
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
ORDER APPROVING PARTIAL TRANSFER OF LICENSE, LIFTING STAY OF ORDER AMENDING LICENSE, AND DENYING MOTION FOR CLARIFICATION AND MOTION TO DISMISS

(Issued July 16, 2020)

 "...we approve a partial transfer of the license for the Lower Klamath Project from PacifiCorp (transferor) to the Renewal Corporation (transferee), contingent on PacifiCorp remaining on as a co-licensee."

           
ARTICLES AND PRESS RELEASES IN RESPONSE TO FERC'S ORDER APPROVING PARTIAL TRANSFER OF LICENSE FOR KLAMATH RIVER HYDROELECTRIC DAMS

PacifiCorp's statement regarding FERC's order on partial transfer of Klamath River dam's license, Yreka News on Facebook 7/17/2020.

FERC approved "Partial License" transfer for Klamath River Dams, PRESS RELEASE: Siskiyou County Water Users Association / SCWUA JULY 17, 2020

FERC Agrees with LaMalfa: KRRC Can’t Handle Klamath Dams’ License, Yreka News 7/17/2020

Federal decision leaves future of Klamath dam removal unclear, H&N 7/17/2020

Federal regulators clarify path to Klamath dam removal, Trout Unlimited 7/17/2020.

* Here is KBC's KRRC (Dam Removal Group) Leadership page updated...Who's Who

 
How high can a salmon jump? by Judge Bob Kaster, Siskiyou Daily News 5/13/2020.  "It seems that everyone is on the bandwagon to yank out four dams along the Klamath River which have existed for decades and which do what they were designed to do, including flood control and clean hydroelectric power generation. Everyone is on the bandwagon, that is, except for the majority of those of us who actually live here in the California and Oregon counties where the dams are located; and except for many of us who are actually paying for it, i.e., the PacifiCorp electric utility ratepayers...."
The Executive Director of the California State Water Resources Control Board issued a water quality certification for the Lower Klamath Project License Surrender and certified the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Lower Klamath Project License Surrender, posted 4/14/2020
State Water Board Issues Key Documents That Further Efforts to Remove Klamath River Dams 4/7/2020
Largest US dam removal stirs debate over coveted West water, printed in Intermountain Farm & Ranch 4/3/2020. "The project...would reshape the Klamath River and empty giant reservoirs, and Could revive plummeting salmon populations..The demolition plan is good business for PacifiCorp, which holds the dams’ hydroelectric licenses. ...Under under the demolition plan, $200 million will come from California and Oregon ratepayers, and $250 million will come from a voter-approved California water bond, with no liability for PacifiCorp..." KBC NOTE: Klamath and Siskiyou Counties voted overwhelmingly against destroying the Klamath River hydroelectric dams which provide clean power for more then 70,000 households, reservoirs for storage, wildfire control and controlled mandatory pulses for salmon, flood control, reservoir ecosystems and recreation, support local communities and economies, and agriculture.
Response to KRRC (dam destruction corporation) Budget for Klamath Devastation, by Rex Cozzalio, 4th generation Iron Gate resident 3/9/2020
Maximum price set for removing Klamath River dams, H&N 3/3/2020

KRRC budget submitted to FERC ahead of dam removal, H&N 3/3/2020

KRRC awards contract for Klamath dam removal, H&N 2/26/2020
Salmon Cannon company presents in Siskiyou County, H&N 2/18/2020. "Dearden emphasized that the technology does not harm or kill any fish. It takes just seconds or minutes for a fish to be transported past a dam, versus the hours or days it takes for the fish to complete the task on its own. And Whooshh’s system costs just 10 to 30 percent of a traditional fish passage option...Dearden confirmed during his presentation that only SCWUA had reached out to Whooshh regarding providing an alternative to removal of the Klamath dams...The company has deployed the system at the Chief Joseph and Cle Elum dams in Washington and has reported success with both projects." " '...The KRRC (Klamath Dam removal group) exists simply to implement the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement. We do not examine alternatives to the agreement,' (KRRC Community Liaison) Meurer stated."
Klamath dam removal draws closer, KRRC awaits FERC decision in March, H&N 1/28/2020.  According to KRRC Community Liason, “None of the water that is stored in hydroelectric reservoirs is used for agriculture,” he said. “It’s not used for municipal diversions. It’s not used for farms and ranchers – that water is used to produce hydro-power.”

 

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              Page Updated: Tuesday February 02, 2021 04:47 PM  Pacific


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