AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

Klamath River Dam Removal Agreement Signed

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A river in trouble

The Klamath River has been in trouble for a long time, with a dying salmon population, damaged ecosystem, and aging, inefficient hydroelectric plants.  

However, new dam removal agreements signed by company, federal, state, and tribal officials on Wednesday, April 6 have been seen as a ray of hope. The new agreements – the Klamath River Hydroelectric Agreement and the Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement – reignited and revised a previous dam removal attempt, signed in 2010 with then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, that needed Congressional approval. That agreement expired in 2015 because Congress never passed the required legislation.

Widespread support

The new pact does not have all the promises as the original 2010 agreement, but it is still receiving widespread support from the local community – even from those it may impact the most – farmers and irrigators.  

The agreement calls for the removal of all four dams on the Klamath river by 2020, helping to restore salmon, steelhead, other fish, and to restore the rivers ecosystem.

Scientific studies support dam removal

The decision to remove the dams stemmed from scientist studies conducted in 2009. The studies found that holding water in the reservoirs increases water temperature and dissolved oxygen, resulting in toxic algal blooms.

Another issue is the sediment buildup behind the four dams – nearly 15 million cubic yards – and 85 percent of which is silt.  Once the dams are removed, the sediment will move downstream, impacting fish species. However, although there is a copious amount of sediment, no toxic or heavy metals were found in it, which is another positive for moving forward with the dam removal.

All four dams are to be removed at the same time to allow for just one sediment release into the river, helping minimize any long term negative impact to fish populations.  Estimates indicate that it should take three to four months to reach the ocean.

Removal and mitigation funds

A $65 million mitigation fund will be established to help counter any unforeseen impacts that may occur with the dam removal. The committee assigned to the agreement will also purchase insurance to help protect the project from anything that goes wrong above the $65 million fund.

Construction of each of the dams is different, so the removal techniques will differ, as will the time of year they are to be removed – beginning in the spring through summer. The total cost for the dam removal is $450 million dollars, with $200 million of the cost being funded by PacifiCorp customers through a surcharge. The Public Utilities Commission is currently holding these funds in an account until the projects begin.

Current ownership

PacifiCorp owns the dams, and since they were built decades ago, energy production is at about half of the original plant design. New modifications for required environmental updates would [link url=”http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/State-U-S-agree-to-dismantle-four-dams-on-7230156.php” title=”cost nearly the same amount as the dam removal“] – $400 million – but would further reduce the energy generating capacity by 25 percent.

After seeing the major benefits outlined by the scientific studies and comparing that to the modification costs and reduced capacity, PacifiCorp realized dam removal was the wisest choice and surrendered them to the coordinating organizations.

The four dams

Iron Gate Dam

  • 189-foot earthen embankment dam
  • Closest to the mouth of the Klamath River

Copco 2 Dam

  • 33-foot concrete dam
  • Next one up from Iron Gate

Copco 1 Dam

  • 135-foot concrete dam
  • Second dam up from Iron Gate

J.C. Boyle Dam

  • 68-foot concrete and earthfill embankment
  • Farthest dam up of Iron Gate

Removal not a sure thing

The dam removals are not a sure thing, however, because there is a permit and approval process that must be completed, including receiving permission from the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) to transfer ownership to the newly formed nonprofit, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation.

Once the transfer is complete, the nonprofit corporation would decommission the dam, then apply for the necessary dam removal permits from federal, state, and tribal governments.  Still, the new agreements offer hope to a failing river ecosystem and lost upper river salmon populations.

Kimberly Arsenault serves as an intern at the Cleveland/Bradley County Emergency Management Agency where she works on plan revisions and special projects. Previously, Kimberly spent 15 years in commercial and business aviation. Her positions included station manager at the former Midwest Express Airlines, as well as corporate flight attendant, inflight manager, and charter flight coordinator. Kimberly currently holds a master's degree in emergency and disaster management from American Public University.

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