Posted on 02/08/2016 9:41:55 PM PST by george76
California, Oregon and the federal government are working on a way around congressional barriers to the removal of hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River.
The states, the U.S. Interior Department and the owner of the dams, PacifiCorp, announced Tuesday that they have agreed in principle to pursue removal through the federal dam relicensing process.
The move comes after a complex deal to decommission four hydroelectric dams and restore portions of the historic salmon river fell apart when Congress failed to act on a crucial piece of the pact by a Dec. 31 deadline.
Republican members of Congress and local elected officials have argued against dismantling private utility facilities that are the source of property taxes and provide electricity to rural customers in Northern California and southern Oregon.
In the original Klamath deal, struck in 2010, PacifiCorp agreed to the dam removal because it would have cost the company an estimated $400 million to meet state water-quality standards and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's relicensing requirements.
Under the tentative new agreement, the parties would amend the dam-removal piece of the 2010 pact so it does not have to go before Congress. But they would retain funding and other provisions that cap PacfiCorp's costs and call for California to use state bond money to help pay for decommissioning.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
And how much power does the Hoover Dam provide for Kalipornia?
Do that and they should shut down all the generators online that provide power for the cess pool. The Hoover dam was never engineered for as many generators they have in there.
Just take a look at the level behind that dam now.
How is the firm energy generated at Hoover Dam allocated?
Arizona - 18.9527 percent
Nevada - 23.3706 percent
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California - 28.5393 percent
Burbank, CA - 0.5876 percent
Glendale, CA - 1.5874 percent
Pasadena, CA - 1.3629 percent
Los Angeles, CA - 15.4229 percent
Southern California Edison Co. - 5.5377 percent
Azusa, CA - 0.1104 percent
Anaheim, CA - 1.1487 percent
Banning, CA - 0.0442 percent
Colton, CA - 0.0884 percent
Riverside, CA - 0.8615 percent
Vernon, CA - 0.6185 percent
Boulder City, NV - 1.7672 percent
Tough call. The electricity will be missed, but a couple of those dams have reached their useful lifespans due to silt deposits. It will be interesting to see how they dismantle those dams without silting up the entire river basin. It could be decades before the river is clear enough to support salmon.
The distribution of water rights will be a big problem, too. I assume the farmers will get screwed.
Is Agency Lake (above Klamath Lake) affected by this?
In other words, they were regulated out of business.
the dams are 400 feet high and can produce 145 megawatts of carbon-free power - and taking them offline would make this the largest dam removal project in U.S. history.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3375384/posts?page=3#3
dam removal mobilizes toxic minerals and allows them to pollute the river [ ht: Carry_Okie ]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3375384/posts?page=19#19
ping for valued comment
Removing existing reservoirs and blocking future ones will make future droughts more impactful; then higher food, energy, water bills...
Not super familar with this but my kneejerk is to side with “Republican members of Congress and local officials” over scumsucking democrats like Obama, Jerry Brown, and the a-holes who run Oregon.
I have been asking that question for 3 or 4 years with no answer. There are 3 or 4 down river Indian tribes and most of them are for it’s removal and I really question that
what? nothing for Cucamonga?
Thank you. I’d never seen that before.
I recall when I looked into this a few years ago that the salmon are not rally indigenous to the rivers but were introduced only in the last few decades. Also aren’t a lot of farmers and people going to lose their land over this and have it bought up by the usual gang of infamous politicians and their backers at cents on the dollar?
Let them drink sand.
Has our government now become unfounded and confounded by a religion of EnvironMentalist coup plotters seeking to establish Government By Their Whim???
Are we men? Or are we mice?
These are the people I think of everytime I hear people grousing about their wish for "a government that can get things done!" What "things?" Destructive things? Desperately stupid things like totally unnecessary dam destruction???
This farce must be stopped and if our gutless electeds can't stand for the right, then they must be compelled to stand for what's right and not destructive!!!
The voices promoting this insanity are spouting the most vulgar and vile types of sophistry!!! (IMSO)
The laugher is that that water quality will be MUCH worse once the dams are removed.
...but a couple of those dams have reached their useful lifespans due to marketable silt deposits.
Fixed. That silt is laden with phosphate and trace minerals. Check out the disaster for water quality that was dam removal along the Rogue.
Pretty much America has been regulated out of existence.
farms and industries have arisen and grown with availability of water....
and now, its all moot....billions down the rat hole.
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