From potential klamath dam hugger 031308

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

From a potential dam hugger

Pioneer Press, Fort Jones, CA 3/12/08

To the Editor:

It seems that I can't make it through one day on this damn issue without putting my two cents in the pot.

First of all, let me say what h as been said by many before me. Our forefathers had a reason(s) to put dams on the Klamath River. They were put in to prevent flooding which most of us have only seen on the six o'clock news. All of the news footage shows what happens to homes, farms, and ranches on the mighty Mississippi River. Scenes of cows on roof tops, dogs and cats in trees and water rushing through the second floor of a two story home. That is a lot of money going down the river and our ancestors saw that this could be prevented by installing dams to control it.

The electric power was almost an afterthought. Like icing on the cake. We have the dams now so let's see if we can make any money from them. So they are producing power. Isn't this a win-win situation for all of us?

I don't want to hear about the poor salmon until you can tell me that the tribal Indians have agreed to remove their nets from the mouth of the Klamath River. Isn't this where i t all starts, at the mouth of the river? If the salmon are not able to enter the river then they can't very well get up the river now, can they? If they can't get in the river, then mining and pollution and dams are moot points aren't they? Maybe the Indians know that the only salmon worth eating are caught before they get a chance to come up the polluted river.

Would you? Strike one.

I am very sorry for the people that now have waterfront property around the dams who are in danger of losing it. Siskiyou County will take another hit if the property declines in value due to dam removal. That will mean a lot less tax money coming into the budget. I strongly advise these property owners to go en mass to a supervisor's meeting and ask how much their taxes are going to be reduced if the dams are taken out. Who is going to pay their outrageous flood insurance rates when the dams are removed? Strike two.

Next we have the property owners that have homes away from the dams and even in Hornbrook the the Klamath River Estates. In case of fires, and there will always be fires, where are the helicopters going to fill their buckets? Strike three.

Yes, we need to clean up the river, but that is another letter to be written at a later time.

Pacific Power has agreed to put in fish ladders and someone else thinks we should haul the salmon round the dams and drop them in the lakes. That idea leaves a lot to be desired, but if that is what it takes to keep the dams in place then so be it.

Just leave the damn dams where they are.

Margo L. Perryman,
Edgewood