Klamath Restoration Agreements

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Top Ten Reasons to Remove Klamath Dams

  1. Hundreds of miles of historic spawning habitat would be re-opened to Klamath River Chinook and Coho salmon, steelhead, and lamprey whose numbers run dangerously close to extinction. map.                  
  2. For Tribes, the salmon, steelhead and lamprey represent a significant subsistence food source. Catching and eating fish is also an important cultural practice for Indian families.
  3.  Salmon are a fundamental part of tradition native religions and ceremonies. By killing the fish, the dams are denying Indians access to their traditional religion and culture.
  4.  Fish need cold, clean water rich in oxygen, but the shallow reservoirs behind the dams warm to temperatures lethal to salmon and are low in oxygen.
  5. Overheated and oxygen deficient waters provide prime conditions for toxic algae to bloom in the reservoirs behind the dams at levels thousands of times higher than what the World Health Organization says is safe for recreation. The algae, called Microcystis aeruginosa, secrets a toxin that is known to can cause liver damage and promote tumor growth. Dangerous levels of the liver toxin have been detected in the tissue of resident fish.
  6.  Below the dams,fish disease causing parasites thrive. The stable flows and warm water between Iron Gate dam and Shasta river is full of the parasites that carry the fish diseases P. minibocornis and C. shasta. About 80% of the juvenile fish in the Klamath become infected and most die from these diseases. Dam removal would allow natural fluctuations in flow to flush out the algae and disease causing parasites and allow fish to distribute into upper reaches of the river instead of bunching up in the disease hotspot at the base of Iron Gate dam.
  7. The Klamath Dams that need to be removed are not used for irrigation.  Farmers will still get their water from behind Keno and Link dams, which are small enough barriers for fish to pass by using ladders.
  8. The Klamath dams provide no flood protection since the reservoirs are relatively small and have a very limited capacity to catch flood waters.
  9. According to FERC and the California Energy Commission, dam removal is cheaper than installing the fish ladders prescribed by federal agencies. Therefore dam removal is the cheapest alternative for ratepayers.
  10. Dam removal is part of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement which improves river flows and provides great water and economic security for agricultural communities in the Upper Basin. 
 

Did You Know?

Water Shut-off Highlights Need for Klamath Agreements

Karuk Tribe

P R E S S  R E L E A S E

For Immediate Release: March 18, 2010

For more information: Craig Tucker, Klamath Coordinator, Karuk Tribe, cell 916-207-8294

 

Drought Highlights Need for Klamath Agreements

Fish and Farms would be better off today if the Klamath Restoration Agreements where already in place

 Orleans, CA – Today Secretary of Interior Salazaar addressed the current drought situation in the Klamath Basin by breaking the hard news to irrigators that water deliveries will be reduced to 30-40% of average. Before agricultural deliveries can be made, the Bureau of Reclamation must first ensure that the water level in Upper Klamath Lake and the flows in the Klamath River meet minimal requirements to allow for the survival of ESA listed suckers and coho salmon.

 “It’s a difficult year for everyone. Even though irrigation deliveries are being dramatically cut, the water fish are getting only meets the minimal amount needed to avoid extinction. It’s barely enough water to keep the fishery on life support,” according to Leaf Hillman, Director of Karuk Natural Resources Department.

 The current situation is due in large part to a lack of precipitation, but if fisheries managers had the flexibility to manage the system in the manner prescribed by the recently signed Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, more water would be available for fish in the crucial spring months ahead and more water would be available for agriculture as well.

 The current management plan prescribes winter flows in the river without considering weather events in real time. In a dry winter like this one, the result is that flows are held steady even in the face of deteriorating hydrologic conditions. Under Real Time Management, flows would have been pared back to better reflect the weather conditions in real time. This approach would have allowed resource managers to provide more water to the river in the spring when fish need it most, left more water in Upper Klamath Lake for suckers, and more management flexibility in meeting irrigation needs.

 According to Hillman, “We basically ran up a water deficit this winter gambling that a late season storm would bail us out, but the rains never came. Implementation of the Klamath Restoration Agreement would provide a more sound approach to water management.”

 In addition, the Real Time Management Plan called for by the KBRA would restore some of the Klamath’s natural hydrograph. This means river flows would be greater during storm events and less during dry periods. Current management calls for flat line flows out of Iron Gate Dam which is bad for fish. “Flat line flows contribute to the algae and fish disease problems on the Klamath by creating a stable environment for algae and disease carrying parasites to flourish. If we mimicked the river’s natural flow pattern with normal flow variability, it would help these problems greatly,” according to Karuk Senior Fisheries Biologist Toz Soto.

 Tribes are offering to support disaster relief measures to help farm families through the season. “Hopefully, we can get the Klamath Restoration Agreements enacted by congress this year and avoid a crisis like this in the future. Until then, Tribal and fishing communities will need to support our neighbors in farming and ranching as they brace for a year of economic hardship,” said Hillman.

 

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Technical memo describing how KBRA management would have helped address this year’s drought