Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Deal to raze 4 Klamath dams
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 9/30/9 | Peter Fimrite

Posted on 09/30/2009 7:54:18 AM PDT by SmithL

In what is being touted as the world's biggest dam-removal project, an agreement was reached Tuesday to remove four dams on the Klamath River and restore a 300-mile migratory route for California's beleaguered salmon.

The tentative agreement was reached after a decade of negotiations among 28 parties, including American Indian tribes, farmers, fishermen and the hydroelectric company that operates the dams and distributes the water. The plan would set in motion one of the most ambitious efforts in U.S. history to restore the habitat of a federally protected species if it receives final approval by the parties in December, as expected.

The dams - Iron Gate, Copco 1, Copco 2 and J.C. Boyle - have blocked salmon migration for a century along the California-Oregon border and have been blamed for much of the historic decline of chinook and coho salmon and steelhead trout in the Klamath. Under the plan, the dams operated by the utility, PacificCorp, would be dismantled beginning in 2020.

The ultimate goal of the so-called Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement is to restore what has historically been the third-largest source of salmon in the lower 48 states, behind the Columbia and Sacramento rivers. Chinook once swam all the way up to Upper Klamath Lake in Oregon, providing crucial sustenance to American Indians, including the Yurok, Karuk, Klamath and Hoopa Valley tribes.

"This is the deal that we have all been working on for 10 years," said Steve Rothert, the California director of American Rivers, a national nonprofit river conservation group. "There were a lot of people who didn't think we could do this, and some groups that worked actively to prevent it. It's fantastic that we've reached this spot."

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California; US: Oregon
KEYWORDS: dams; energy; hydro; klamath; yourtaxdollarsatwork
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-83 next last
To: KarlInOhio
Each salmon will be caught as it enters the river and an empty rechargeable batter and a generator will be attached to it. As it swims upstream it will charge the battery. Then the batteries will be retrieved when they reach their mating ground and sent to San Francisco to run their city lights.

As I see it, there's only one problem with your analysis. Hundreds of seals, sea lions and otters will die due to ingesting those batteries when they eat those salmon.

21 posted on 09/30/2009 8:21:09 AM PDT by Night Hides Not (If Dick Cheney = Darth Vader, then Joe Biden = Dark Helmet)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
Last year, the Chinese fishing fleet took more than 17 MILLION TONS OF FISH from the Pacific. I suppose they had nothing to do with this "decline"..............

Or with our "policies" governing streams and "endangered species"? Central Valley is now a dustbowl to the double benefit of China.

22 posted on 09/30/2009 8:21:23 AM PDT by Poincare
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

I think that’s a great idea, provided that they open up a nuclear power plant to replace the energy that we would stop producing. Oh, they’re not planning on building a new nuclear power plant? Well, I guess they can all go to sleep when the sun goes down and not have any electrical appliances. But they’ll have plenty of fish to cook over the fire.


23 posted on 09/30/2009 8:23:52 AM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (Fred Thompson appears human-sized because he is actually standing a million miles away.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jack Black
Well other than a small piece of Oregon there are no Redwoods anywhere else.

It is my understanding that there is a stand of redwoods in New Mexico that has trees that best many in California. It's not well publicized because the folks there don't want the traffic to the area.

If I can find something on it, I'll post a link.

24 posted on 09/30/2009 8:25:22 AM PDT by IYAS9YAS (The townhalls were going great until the oPods showed up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

Reason 1A why global warming is BS.


25 posted on 09/30/2009 8:25:36 AM PDT by Tribune7 (I am Joe Wilson!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: equalitybeforethelaw
I guess they don’t want the water and the electricity. Who knew SF was self sufficient? The whack left's goal is obvious...You'll only need two things in their green world.....
26 posted on 09/30/2009 8:30:33 AM PDT by AngelesCrestHighway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

This doesn’t really bode well for the 4 dams on the lower Snake here in Idaho that have also been targeted to save a stupid (and tasty might I add) fish.


27 posted on 09/30/2009 8:35:39 AM PDT by Domandred (Fdisk, format, and reinstall the entire .gov system. I am Jim Thompson.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Poincare

If you wrote this as the plot of a book in 1950, people would say you were off your rocker....................


28 posted on 09/30/2009 8:35:59 AM PDT by Red Badger (The Zero has more airtime than Michael Jordan...........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Domandred

If the fish is so tasty, why isn’t it farmed?................


29 posted on 09/30/2009 8:36:46 AM PDT by Red Badger (The Zero has more airtime than Michael Jordan...........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Little Pig

Apparently they work very well.


30 posted on 09/30/2009 8:39:53 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (The Second Amendment. Don't MAKE me use it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: AngelesCrestHighway

I wonder which hut Nancy will pick? The bike reminds of Pee Wees Great Adventure.


31 posted on 09/30/2009 8:47:48 AM PDT by equalitybeforethelaw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: SmithL; CPT Clay; GeronL; Jack Black; Travis McGee
These are all dams below the Klamath Lake reservoir where the irrigation waters for the farmers from the 2001 crisis originates.

I do not agree with this foolishness, because the deal (which was talked about by the government some time ago) talks about finding other renewable sources for the energy.

The cheapest, most efficient, renewable energy is already in place with those dams and they now intend to take it out, eroding electircal production in that area on the unspecified, liberal promise of "something" in the future.

So, from an energy standpoint, it is very bad policy.

From an irigation standpoint, it will probably put more pressure on Klamath Lake to provide what is deemed the water necessary to meet the environmental/salmon needs. But the farmers in the Klamath Basin have been involved in the negotiations to try and ensure their needs are met and committed to.

In 2001 they did not have that capability, and those events dealt directly with their water in their lake Lake. These dams are all well below them and much more directed at electrical production.

32 posted on 09/30/2009 8:47:51 AM PDT by Jeff Head (Freedom is not free...never has been, never will be. (www.dragonsfuryseries.com))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

We can replace them with coal-fired plants.


33 posted on 09/30/2009 8:57:08 AM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL
What about the poor sucker fish!

A little over eight years ago there was talk of Klamath Falls being Lexington Green West.

9/11 made the farmers and their supporters back off out of concern for our Republic. Meanwhile enviro wacko rabble continued on destroying 100 years of farm families and not caring one whit about the Republic?

34 posted on 09/30/2009 9:14:00 AM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: massgopguy

Near Yreka the rive is in a very deep canyon. If it floods Noah has returned.


35 posted on 09/30/2009 9:19:04 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof. V for victory)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: sasquatch

ping


36 posted on 09/30/2009 9:19:31 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof. V for victory)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Head

Thanks, that is a good response.


37 posted on 09/30/2009 9:22:15 AM PDT by GeronL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: WilliamofCarmichael

See my post 32.


38 posted on 09/30/2009 9:26:24 AM PDT by Jeff Head (Freedom is not free...never has been, never will be. (www.dragonsfuryseries.com))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Little Pig

I don’t know about fish ladders, but there is a dam on the Columbia River, Bonneville Dam I believe, that has a very effective system for allowing salmon to get upstream. I don’t know why that could not be added to the dams in question.


39 posted on 09/30/2009 9:27:50 AM PDT by csmusaret (Joe Wilson--Speaking truth to power)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

Better fire up that dirty Coal plant. Morons.


40 posted on 09/30/2009 9:29:03 AM PDT by Danae (No political party should pick candidates. That's the voters job.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-83 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson