Friday November 18, 2022
Daily Democrat —
It’s been 20 years in the making, but the last hurdle in the path of dam removal in the Klamath River has been cleared.
“The Klamath salmon are coming home,” Yurok Chairman Joseph James said in a statement. “The people have earned this victory and with it, we carry on our sacred duty to the fish that have sustained our people since the beginning of time.”
On Thursday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the license surrender order for the Lower Klamath River Hydroelectric Project, which includes the J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2 and Iron Gate dams on the Klamath River. That means dam removal can start once PacifiCorp transfers the license to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, a nonprofit established to oversee dam removal and river restoration, and the states of Oregon and California.
“Today’s victory was well earned by the thousands of people who fought for clean water, healthy fisheries, and environmental justice for Klamath River communities,” Karuk Chairman Russell “Buster” Attebery said in a statement. “I am grateful to everyone, from the youth to the elders, Governors Newsom and Brown, and the team from PacifiCorp who made this victory possible.”