Report says dam removal good for Klamath salmon .

From the AP: " A federal report says removing four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in Oregon and California and restoring ecosystems will produce a big increase in salmon harvests and boost farm revenues. "

The 400-page report attempts to monetize the costs and benefits of taking down the dams for the major constituents in the Klamath region, including fish, farmers, tribes and recreational users. 

Full Klamath Dam Removal report:   http://1.usa.gov/VN0uqR

Tea Party Blocks Pact to Restore the Klamath

The New York Times checks in on the progress of the Klamath Dams deal and finds it stymied by local Tea Party activists.

As predicted, it's much more difficult to actually breach those dams than come to an agreement about what should be done, no matter how revolutionary the coalition was that came together two years ago. Stay tuned...

Yet Another Complication in the Klamath

From Jeff Barnard of the AP: "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has listed toxins from blue-green algae as another pollutant of the Klamath River behind the hydroelectric dams that Indian tribes, fishermen and conservation groups want removed to make way for salmon.

The algae toxins in the Iron Gate and Copco reservoirs now must be considered along with other pollutants by the California Water Board as it considers whether to grant the Clean Water Act certification needed by the Portland-based utility PacifiCorp to get a new operating license for four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath."

Deal on Dams on Klamath Advances

The New York Times reports on the landmark $1 billion agreement between the upstream and downstream interests in the Klamath Basin. It's potentially a milestone; just the fact that these groups with such conflicting interests were able to sit down and negotiate such a deal is remarkable.

When I was doing the reporting for the documentary, I heard that the opposing groups were meeting (in secret at that time) and trying to reach some common ground. I admit I thought the prospects were dim they'd get this far.

Yet the cold fact is that it is still basically up to PacifiCorp if the dams are to be removed and key parts of this agreement implemented. And I believe chances of that are slim. There are huge costs, monumental engineering challenges, and many intervening variables; including conflicting government jurisdictions and environmental concerns that still have not been resolved.

I hope I'm wrong. As I pointed out above, I never thought they'd get this far. But there still is a long way to go before we see those dams come down and the historic salmon runs reopened in one of the most beautiful regions of the west.

Dueling studies about the cost of Klamath Dams

Over the last few months three studies were published arguing the financial pros and cons of PacifiCorp removing the Klamath Dams. The latest, by the California Energy Commission, reaffirmed an earlier study arguing that it's cheaper for PacifiCorp to remove the dams than to install new fish ladders and other technology to aid spawning salmon. Read the piece in the LA Times.

PacifiCorp wants to keep dams

Here's the latest on the Klamath Dams saga. It seems that PacifiCorp, part of Warren Buffet's financial empire, is willing to spend the estimated $3oo million it will take to build the fish ladders needed for salmon to get on the other side of the four dams on the Klamath River instead of taking out the dams and restoring the river to its historic flows. Some studies show taking out the dams would cost less than building the fish ladders.

PacifiCorp is not ruling out breaching the dams, but this is still a blow to those (including me) that hoped the high cost of the fish ladder system would cause PacifiCorp to tear down the dams for financial, if not environmental, reasons.

There's a couple of good videos on YouTube of the Klamath Dam controversy. Click on the link or go to the home page and use the keyword "klamath".