Historic deal revives plan for largest US dam demolition

[Calista241]

Source: AP

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An agreement announced Tuesday paves the way for the largest dam demolition in U.S. history, a project that promises to reopen hundreds of miles of waterway along the Oregon-California border to salmon that are critical to tribes but have dwindled to almost nothing in recent years.

If approved, the deal would revive plans to remove four massive hydroelectric dams on the lower Klamath River, creating the foundation for the most ambitious salmon restoration effort in history. The project on California’s second-largest river would be at the vanguard of a trend toward dam demolitions in the U.S. as the structures age and become less economically viable amid growing environmental concerns about the health of native fish.

Previous efforts to address problems in the Klamath Basin have fallen apart amid years of legal sparring that generated distrust among tribes, fishing groups, farmers and environmentalists, and the new agreement could face more legal challenges. Some state and federal lawmakers criticized it as a financially irresponsible overreach by leaders in Oregon and California.

“This dam removal is more than just a concrete project coming down. It’s a new day and a new era,” Yurok Tribe chairman Joseph James said. “To me, this is who we are, to have a free-flowing river just as those who have come before us. ... Our way of life will thrive with these dams being out.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/dams-fish-salmon-oregon-environment-71045373e7063bfff75fc43d15885639

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. With they replace the lost power with wind/solar/thermal?

If so, a big net gain for the environment and energy.

[Calista241]

2. My impression was that the power generation capability of these dams was compromised years ago.

If it's anything like old dams here in the Southeast, the power generation has been reduced to provide for the facilities power, and that's about it, and very little of it supports 'the grid.'

They're still around basically for flood control and / or as water reservoirs.

[luv2fly]

3. Don't they have people determine the impact BEFORE they build it?

Gotta wonder.

[Calista241]

4. These dams were built between the 1920's and 1960's

So no, they didn't consider impacts like that when these were built.

[Thunderbeast]

5. Native rights and salmon populations

were not considered when building the hydro projects in the west. Dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers have led to the near extinction of native salmon. Many of these projects (including Grand Coulee) were built without fish ladders, wiping out thousands of miles of habitat.

[pecosbob]

6. What do you know? Several thousand new jobs...green ones at that.

[Nitram]

7. This is what I call progress.