Boat U.S. - March 2009 - (Page 24)

Klamath River Salmon Set to Rise Again If salmon could clap as well as they can jump, they'd have greeted the recent agreement to remove four dams from California and Oregon's Klamath River with thunderous applause. In what's being billed as the world 's largest dam removal, eradicating the four aging water barriers should bolster fish populations in what was once the nation's third-largest salmon producing river. Removing the dams, built primarily to generate electricity, would open up more than 300 miles of coho salmon native to the Klamath are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. "When the licenses for the dams were given out 50 years ago, conservation wasn't as much of an issue," says Gordon Roberston, vice preSident of the American Sportfishing Association. "We' re pleased with the decision. It would return the area to its natural state and could eventually restore the river's historic coho run," he added. Other concerned largely groups have welcomed the recent agreement in prinCipal to remove the dams by owner PacifiCorp. Fish and water rights have long been a source of tension berween conservationists, local American Indian tribes, and farmers, who've all had their problems with water flow in the Klamath. But while most parties are now pleased , the move may not be all good news for boaters and local residents. Impoundments behind the dams, including Iron Gate Reservoir and Lake Copco, will disappear. "If the dams are removed, the river will revert to its natural course," says Kevin Moore at the Klamath Office of the U.s. Bureau of Reclamation. "This means the man-made reservoirs would no longer exist. !l waterway for chinook and coho salmon, as well as steelhead, that has effectively been dosed off for the past 90-plus years. The river, full of those and other native species a cenrury ago, drains a 16,000-squaremile watershed , from Klamath Counry, Oregon, to the Pacific Ocean north of Redwood National Park in California. In recent decades however, the river's water qualiry has declined to the point that BoatU.S. Magazine March 2009 While conservationists and fish fans may be rejoicing, they'll need patience; actual removal of all four dams would not occur until somewhere berween 2020 and 2025 -A.D.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Boat U.S. - March 2009

Boat U.S. - March 2009 Contents Reader Forum Boat U.S. Reports What’s New In The Brew? The Perfect Paint Job Launch Into Spring Boats Gear Wheels One Mom, Two Teens, No Exit So, Nigel Had This Idea Ice Devices It Was A Club Of Their Own Expanding The Boating Universe Tech Connection A Case Study In Getting Results Let’s All Do This Together Classifieds Member Benefits/At Your Service

Boat U.S. - March 2009

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