From the Oregon Council of Trout Unlimited – Please Take Action today.
A landmark agreement has paved the way for removal of four dams on the Klamath River, historically the third largest producer of salmon and steelhead on the West Coast. Now, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must approve the next critical step in the dam decommissioning process.
1. Please submit your comments to FERC supporting transfer of dam license from PacifiCorp to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation.
2. Share this email with your fishing partners.
3.Make a donation to support TU’s campaign to restore the Klamath River.
Why We Care
Four aging power dams on the Klamath River are scheduled for removal in 2020, the result of a collaborative agreement crafted by a diverse group of stakeholders. Supporters include the current dam owner PacifiCorp, the states of California and Oregon, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, the Yurok and Karuk tribes, and the conservation groups American Rivers, California Trout, Northern California Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers, Klamath RiverKeeper, Salmon River Restoration Council, Sustainable Northwest, and Trout Unlimited.
The fate of these dams now lies with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the federal agency responsible for hydropower projects. At this time FERC must decide whether to approve a petition to transfer the dam license from PacifiCorp to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), the entity responsible for decommissioning the dams. The transfer of license must be approved for the settlement to go forward.
The signed agreement was a huge step in the right direction. We won’t let the Klamath Dams continue to degrade the river, fish, and water quality. FERC has opened a formal public comment period on this proposed transfer of license — the time to act is now to make our voice heard.
What You Can Do
This is our golden opportunity to restore wild steelhead and salmon on the West Coast. The Klamath River was once the third largest producer of salmon on the West Coast, behind Columbia and Sacramento rivers. Let’s bring it back.
How to submit your comments to FERC:
1. Go to www.ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. (If you’d like to submit by mail, use address below. Include docket # P-2082-062 and P-14803-000 in letter.)
2. Enter your information including e-mail. Open automatic e-mail from FERC, follow link from there to submit comment.
3. In the docket field, enter first # P-2082-062, then select the proper docket offered by FERC, confirm that selection, then enter P-14803-000 and repeat the process to specify the project on which you are commenting.
4. Fill in comment form using our sample letter (see below) or your own. Personal stories are always a good touch.
Comments must be submitted to FERC by November 6th. Thank you for your help!
Sample Letter
Kimberly Bose, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20426
Re: Docket # P-2082-062 and P-14803-000
Dear Secretary Bose,
I support the transfer of the PacifiCorp Hydropower Project to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC). This will advance the removal of the four aging dams on the Klamath River — JC Boyle, Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, and Iron Gate.
Since 1917, the four Klamath Dams have blocked access to hundreds of miles of productive habitat for salmon and steelhead. The dams have diminished the productivity of the river, prevented anadromous fish from reaching their spawning grounds, and starved the lower river of cold source water. Beyond loss of habitat, Iron Gate Dam now serves as a giant heat sink that creates water quality problems, including toxic algae blooms.
Simply put, the removal of the four Klamath Dams represents the most significant opportunity to bolster salmon recovery on the West Coast. PacifiCorp and settlement parties agreed that the best path forward to secure both economic and environmental benefits was to decommission the four hydroelectric dams. This conclusion was supported by the California and Oregon Public Utility Commissions, which found that decommissioning the dams was in the best interest of PacifiCorp’s customers. The Klamath River Renewal Corporation is fully capable of carrying out the project.
The decommissioning and ultimate removal of the four Klamath Dams not only makes economic sense, but would greatly benefit the Klamath-origin salmon fisheries and all other Klamath Basin public resources that have been adversely affected by these dams over the past 100 years.
I urge FERC to approve this proposed License Amendment and transfer to the KRRC for purposes of removing the four Klamath Dams and overseeing the restoration of the Klamath River.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sincerely,
Brian J. Johnson
California Director
Trout Unlimited
