After two years of closed-door negotiations the plan to divide the Klamath Basin water between a federal irrigation project and fish protected by the Endangered Species Act. The removal of dam would open 300 miles of rivers that have not seen salmon in the past century and restoring 60 miles of free flowing water, says American River, a conservation group.
An agreement is expected to be signed between the owner of the dams, Portland-based utility PacifiCorp and Congress for a total of $ 1 billion over 10 years. Klamath Campaign coordinator for the Karuk Tribe, Craig Tucker said that the blueprint for how to solve the Klamath crisis has been resolved. Klamath Campaign has been working to restore the dwindling salmon catches. According to Tucker the plan would keep the fishing and farm communities’ whole.
PacifiCorp already mentioned that it is ready to remove the dams if its ratepayers don’t have to pay. But it wanted to have a new 30- or 50-year operating license for which the company would require to spend about $300 million to build fish ladders. Steve Thompson, director of the California-Nevada office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Sacramento, California, said that the American government is ready to help the settlement process. He added that the plan must be reviewed by federal agencies.
He explained that removal of dams would not only restored the fish but also generate more fish. He regards the plan as a better investment for fishermen and farmers. President of Klamath Water Users Association said that the removal of dams would help farmers in terms of irrigation, power, and freedom from endangered species.
