California Trout announced on February 2nd it's support for both the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement.  The agreements are the result of a collaborative stakeholder process involving over two dozen parties to address a broad range of basin-wide issues including the removal of four dams on the Klamath River, fisheries restoration and community sustainability. 

“The Klamath River was once the third most productive salmon and steelhead river along the west coast of the United States,â€� said George Shillinger, Executive Director of California Trout.  “The Settlement Agreements are a historic accomplishment and represent the best chance to restore fish populations and empower healthy communities.â€�

The Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreements spells out terms for the removal of four dams along the Klamath River that currently block access for salmon, steelhead, and lamprey to hundreds of miles of spawning and rearing habitat in the upper basin.  PacifiCorp, the owner of the dams, has been an actively involved in crafting the KHSA and supports the removal of the dams. 

The Klamath River flows across two states and supports a variety of activities on federal, state, county, tribal and private lands. This has led to many conflicts over the allocation of the Klamath’s limited resources. The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement breaks through these conflicts and provides improved stream flows during fish migration, spawning, and rearing seasons; solutions for reliable and predictable irrigation water to sustain agricultural communities; protection of tribal trust resources; and hundreds of millions of dollars for restoration and mitigation to improve habitat and support jobs for local communities. 

A signing ceremony is expected later this month and then the work continues.  Federal legislation must be passed to implement the agreements and environmental reviews must be completed before the dams can be removed.