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Federal Energy Regulatory Commission votes to approve dam removal on Klamath River! [1]
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Date: 2022-11-17
Washington, DC — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today approved the staff recommendation to surrender the license for the four lower PacifiCorp dams on the Klamath River in California and Oregon and begin the dam removal process.
The vote follows the August 27th release of the FERC staff’s final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) recommending the removal of the lower four Klamath River Dams.
Dam removal on the Klamath will open up over 240 stream-miles of salmon and steelhead habitat that has been blocked to fish migration for over 100 years. The project, the largest of its kind in U.S. history, is funded by dam owner PacifiCorp and a voter-approved California bond measure.
Klamath Basin Tribes, commercial and recreational fishermen and environmentalists applauded the vote today.
“The Klamath salmon are coming home,” said Joseph L. James, the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe. “The people have earned this victory and with it, we carry on our sacred duty to the fish that have sustained our people since the beginning of time.”
”Today’s victory was well earned by the thousands of people who fought for clean water, healthy fisheries, and environmental justice for Klamath River communities,” Karuk Chairman Russell “Buster” Attebery said in a statement. “I am grateful to everyone, from the youth to the elders, Governors Newsom and Brown, and the team from PacifiCorp who made this victory possible.”
"Congratulations to all those who poured their blood, sweat and tears into making this happen. Water and fish health are at the heart of our identity as Native People and we are looking forward to seeing a healthier watershed and fishery which will result in healthier communities for all Klamath Basin tribes,” said Hoopa Valley Tribe Chairman Joe Davis. “Now we must keep the momentum going and we are looking forward to working with all of our neighbors and partners in that effort."
Upstream of the dams, the Klamath Tribes of Oregon are anxious to see salmon return. “Our people have been without c’iyaals (salmon) for over a century. We welcome the fish home to the Upper Klamath Basin with open arms,” said Klamath Tribes Chairman Clayton Dumont.
Commercial salmon fishing families along the West Coast are also celebrating the FERC vote.
“Restoring the Klamath gives our struggling salmon fishing industry a chance to survive,” said Vivian Hilliwell, a former commercial salmon harvester and now the Watershed Conservation Director for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA). “The possibility of revitalized Klamath fish runs gives us hope that we can continue our tradition of bringing healthy wild salmon to dinner tables across America.”
Before the vote, FERC Chairman Richard Glick and other commissioners commented on why they supported dam removal on the Klamath River.
In issuing the Final License Surrender Order, Glick stated, “Dam removal makes sense in large part due to fish and wildlife protections. But there is a discussion in the order on the impact on Tribes and the ability to have their traditions and cultural practices improved... I think it’s a very important issue. A number of years back the commission did not think about the impact of our decisions on Tribes. That’s an important element in today’s order…”
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