This is part of a series about the Klamath Dam Removal project in Siskiyou County.
The removal of dams along the Klamath River in Siskiyou County, Northern California was sold as necessary to save salmon – specifically, “to restore habitat for endangered fish.”
The dams are part of the Klamath project, a series of seven dams built in the 1910’s and 1920’s in the Klamath Basin to bring electricity and agricultural water mitigation for Southern Oregon and Northern California, the Globe reported in 2020. However, in recent years, concerns over the dams’ effect on the wildlife and fishing industry have been raised, especially regarding claims of fish facing extinction because the dams.
According to an April 9th Letter from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to Klamath River Renewal Corporation, “… Kiewit has aborted the Iron Gate Development drilling program in its entirety…”
An old NASA phrase comes to mind… Houston, we have a problem!
In a letter dated April 9, 2024 from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (‘FERC’), Office of Energy Projects to Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (‘KRRC’), FERC stated the following in Item 6 of their Letter (attached PDF):
6. According to Mr. Sean Iiams’ March 27, 2024 email to Ms. Elisabeth Jacquot-Matt of this office, Kiewit has aborted the Iron Gate Development drilling program in its entirety negating the requirement for the DPP. Therefore, we will not provide comments on the DPP. We remind you that you may not proceed with exploratory drilling in any of the project embankments without prior authorization from this office
“We cannot authorize the Iron Gate Dam removal at this time based on the above comments.”
Maybe the engineering report from Stephen Koshy about the dangers of decommissioning a “clay-core” dam might have finally come to light, and may have some folks worried! It would make sense that the insurance underwriters on this project are starting to get really nervous about this ill-fated project.
And I am certain that the states of California and Oregon need to be worried, since they are on the hook for all cost over-runs as well as liabilities on the Klamath Dam Removal project, according to an order by FERC.
Earthen dam engineer Stephen Koshy has written a Letter (attached PDF) to FERC and other agencies offering a grave warning. Maybe the insurance underwriters for project contractor Kiewit have new concerns?
(Please Note: It seems that Google and or some cooperating agencies have disabled and scrubbed links to the Koshy Letter that is attached to this article as a PDF)… WHY?
Here is an excerpt from dam engineer Stephen Koshy’s Letter (attached PDF) to various agencies and the County of Siskiyou CA:
And:
In the forgoing dam collapse scenario, over a million tons of mud-gravel and rock debris would move down the Klamath River covering the river bank and properties, including homes. The loss of life would be significant!
View Comments (70)
I feel like the story lacks an introduction and an overview to what is going on. Those close to this human-induced nightmare would know the ramifications of this. It sounds like someone with knowledge and position is alerting the decision makers that going through with removing the Iron Gate dam is not such a great idea. But I do not know if this is a victory for those who prefer not to see the dams removed or just a puff of smoke that will disappear.
I agree it was very poorly written.
What do you expect from a guy who says he studies native American horses. I guess they forgot to tell him that the horse originally was here but they left on the land bridges to the rest of the world thousands of years ago and what was left died out and went extinct. The ones he studies were brought here by the Spanish and Portuguese explorers and/or escaped from ranches afterwards. That means they are not native.
First thing I thought of when looking at credentials.
Hey sir I have always understood that they were a smaller slightly different species, And were hunted to extinction by the Natives?
Look for the money trail maybe not immediately but it there some where. Dang your greedy souls.
Residents DID NOT want dams removed and other interest group that spoke out loudly.
Environmental studies done correctly n appropriately, kiss my grits. Not to mention that some of the people in our own USA government will give out monies to study ticks lying on their back n still get fat, & that has double meaning. just remember now the taxpayers will have to pay for recovery of that environment (if that ain't that double dipping). God help you all, you will have to answer for all this to our Father in heaven. I could go on, but what's the sense, you all are tagged already. Like one of those comedians "Here is your sign"
your anger and obvious bias obviate ⁸any argument you are trying to make. so kiss my grits.
Well dams don't last forever. If not removed, it will eventually fail. So the idea that it can't be safely removed isn't acceptable. It will have to be removed eventually. Might as well figure that out now.
The problem isn’t the dam, the first test of the clay in the bottom of the lake came back as toxic, and they would of had to haul it all away and would of cost $1billon. So, they said test the clay again, and magically it came back as nontoxic so they let it all go down stream and it been a disaster.
That's how our crooked government works!
They had better get the toxicity issue ironed out with lost of samples, duplicates and whatever quality control they need so they get this right or all for naught!
AMEN. Figure it out now. Get the job done. Men have been destroying creation for centuries because of selfish desires. Put the river back the way God created it. Stop playing God before you totally destroy everything.
This all started because men played God. Figure it out, get the job done. Put the river back the way God intended.
put the river back the way it was created. it seems everything we do tends to diminish our possibility of propagation because we're destroying our food source. we need the fish back in the rivers.
Brad,
Have you studied any of the dams in Europe?
It could make you eat your words.
This is indeed a victory for those who did not want to see the dams removed in the first place. Considering the entire project was sold on a great lie, and that lie being the introduction of salmon to Upper Klamath Lake, which has never had salmon in the upper lake ever. Everybody who has studied the environmental reports and the construction logs from the original damn builder knows that there is a 40 plus foot tall lava dam on the inside portion of the lake just mere feet from the existing damn itself. I know salmon are good jumpers but I guarantee there's not salmon alive ever that's been able to clear 40-foot lava dam. I feel that those responsible for perpetuating this lie about salmon existence in the Upper Lake should be made to pay for the damage that's been done not only to the property values for the homeowners at Copco Lake, but the tens of millions of dollars wasted in destroyed wildlife, the loss of hundreds of thousands of juvenile coho salmon and the environmental catastrophe that's now unfolding before our very eyes downstream for the communities that will be greatly affected by this catastrophe for years if not decades to come.
Here here! I love how the insurance industry was one of the lynch pins…whatever…glad it finally happened…but what else can you expect this State full of stupid!
Very well said. It’s nice to read something intelligent. Not based on emotions.
You are Absolutely correct.. I fished the river above the J C Boyle an could see logs on end after they went over the natural 40 foot waterfall. In having worked with the national fisheries on dams and fish ladders it has been proven in actual tests that salmon CANNOT jump over a 40 foot waterfall..So much for the myth of salmon in upper Klamath Lake
plug the hole and fill the lake back up. then SUE everyone that was involved in the project, including Oregon & California Governors.
I'm with you on that idea!!!
why can't they just open the gates and leave the dams there? someday they will be needed.To say the indigenous people need this..not one remembers when yhey depended upon the salmon
there'll be no gravel beds for salmon to spawn. all the silt that was in the lake behind the dam is now covered the whole river bottom with silt there is no gravel. oh well who gives a shit the Greenies got their way, and fucked up the Klamath River for a long time. good day
That's what I wondered. Probably less money for all the crooks in this debaucle.
Your remarks are silliness. Three Main Tribes along the Klamath have subsisted from Salmon runs since we could run across the River on the Heads of the Salmon. We are Salmon and Acorn People.!! Most Californians and Oregonians are clueless to the affect s the dams have had on our people and the River. Let’s have knowledge and accuracy before we profess ourselves as egotistical fools
why are the news channels in pdx not picking up on this info. are they afraid?
Doesn’t follow the Libtard narrative
well said Bill
government workers are just a bunch of fat cackling hens. they need to stop cackling and find a resolution to the problem. we all know there is one. just get it done. or should we bring in the Chinese to do it for us.
Thank you for this exceptional article. It really speaks to so many things involved in this situation. Please keep working in this area. The story needs so much light to be put on it, not to be swept under the rug with reports of recovery and regrowth like so many sources are ALL about. Thank you.
I thought the Chinese already owned everything West of the Rockies?
during my long career in the forest service alone the Klamath River, Ocean over fishing was determined to be the primary threat/limiting factor to salmon populations. however, habitat and riverine environments provided anti development/anti agriculture interests with more leverage. I hope they follow up with well publicized results from this project in the future. it's a boondoggle.
Not Rocket Science. pump lakes down behind damn dams with diversion structure up stream. Remove dam.
Fill in the blanks.
Nope not rocket science buuuutt pumping down a lake with all the sediment built up behind the dam. what are you going to do with it? What about the river where are you going to direct it to? It will need to be dug out and to do that it will need to dry up. Have you ever seen digging equipment in 20 to 30 feet of mud before?