Unblocking fish passage will allow salmon runs to reach their spawning grounds for the first time in nearly a century
Oregon City, OR, April 6, 2016 – Today the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association (NSIA) is celebrating the beginning of one of the largest dam removal and river restoration projects in America’s history. Today, the State of Oregon, the State of California, PacifiCorp, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of the Interior signed an agreement that will result in the removal of the four lower dams on the Klamath River by 2020.
This river renewal of unprecedented scale will allow fish passage for the first time in nearly a century, giving salmon a clear path to return to their spawning grounds – something many thought they would not see in their lifetimes. The Klamath was once one of the greatest salmon rivers in the lower 48 United States, and now with the prospect of improved habitat and unmitigated flows, the river has a chance to return to that form.
The agreement comes after Congress did not take action last year on a measure to approve a compromise deal brokered by dozens of groups over several years who have a vested interest in water rights, fish runs, and farming in the Klamath Basin. Fortunately, PacifiCorp along with state and federal government bodies will help avoid a return to water wars in the area and will help recover suffering salmon and steelhead stocks.
“Kudos to Secretary (Sally) Jewell for stepping in when Congress neglected its responsibility to local stakeholders. Tearing down the aging dams on the Klamath makes way for healthy fisheries — and benefits the sportfishing industry”, said Liz Hamilton, Executive Director of NSIA.
At a signing ceremony today at the mouth of the Klamath River on the Yurok Indian Reservation in Klamath, California, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., and NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathryn Sullivan set the amended agreement in motion and will also set aside millions in funding for farmers in the region who will have to adapt to a changing water landscape.
The salmon reared in the Klamath not only have the opportunity to support a vibrant fishery in the upper river, but those fish also make up a large percentage of the fish that contribute to salmon fisheries off the coasts of both Oregon and Washington. The economic impact of rebounding salmon runs in the Klamath and all along the west coast will mean millions more in consumer spending and more jobs for retailers and outfitters.
The lower dams on the Klamath, currently operated by PacifiCorp to product hydroelectric power, do not meet current fish passage standards, and the cost of retrofitting the structures with adequate fish ladders outweighs the amount of power generated by the dams. Removing these dams will be in the best interest of recreational anglers, the tribes, ratepayers, and the fish. NSIA especially applauds the hard work of Interior Secretary Jewell to help facilitate this deal. Avoiding a return to the water wars and having the prospect of once again seeing salmon in the upper Klamath are wins for everyone in the region.