Klamath Dam Removal Project Gets its 401 Clean Water Certification!
USGS map of the Klamath River’s dams highlighting those that will be removed [public domain]
On April 7, 2020, the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) issued its Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality certification for the removal of the Lower Klamath Project (Copco-1, Copco-2, and Iron Gate Dam). This means that the dam removal project complies with applicable state water quality standards and will continue forward.
“This 401 certification represents a historic opportunity to revive one of the west coast’s most prolific salmon and steelhead runs, and we plan to see it through,” says Curtis Knight, CalTrout’s Executive Director.
Before issuing the certification, the project passed a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analysis which identified potential environmental impacts resulting from the project as well as measures to avoid, mitigate, or offset those effects.
The 401 certification is a federally mandated, state-level permit needed to proceed with dam removal. the project has already received the required 401 permit from the state of Oregon, where a fourth dam J.C. Boyle, is also slated for removal.
CalTrout will continue working with the Klamath River Renewal Corporation to push forward the removal of the Klamath Dams.
Check out the Klamath Dam Removal Project Frequently Asked Questions document for more information.
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
Glad to see a hydro electric plant won’t be going in their.
That means that fishing will improve on the river as well as in the ocean.
Hope this will further help or increase Salmon runs in the area.
You will never see Salmon return in your lifetime.
Hi Kendra, not sure what you mean exactly? The klamath boasts the best king salmon fishing left in california coastal rivers, which admittedly is not saying much. Historic trends were much higher of course, and fisheries biologists contend that dam removal will only increase the runs, but that said not only do salmon still return, there are enough of them that anglers can catch and keep them on the Klamath. And if not our lifetime, whose? Certainly not future generations with global warming (assuming you believe in science). Now if you want to talk about the plausibility of coho salmon returning to their historic numbers in the state of California, thats a different conversation entirely than chinook. I would agree with your assertion in regards to coho, theyre fucked.
Exciting !!! Upside for environmental folks and downside is putting some folks out of work. Honoring agreements with tribes made 150 years ago and leaving fourth generation farmers with questions about their future. It is way to easy to pick a side.