Four controversial hydroelectric dams on the West coast of the US will be dismantled after a landmark public-private agreement.
The deal includes the Governors of California and Oregon, the US federal government and the corporation overseeing the dam, PacifiCorp and will take effect over the next few years.
The four dams are situated on the Klamath River, which is the 2nd largest river in California at 263 miles in length. The river has many benefits--it’s a large source of water, it fosters abundant organic life and it’s a popular place for recreation.
However, dams and other diversions have damaged the river.
The dams disrupted the flow of salmon, threatened the health of various ecosystems, reduced water quality and changed water flows.
Environmental groups and native tribes that depend on the river have been fighting to remove the dams for years. The last effort was wending its way through the US congress but stalled, because Republican lawmakers were afraid of setting a precedent.
Now the power brokers in the area are finally paying attention.
A key economic calculation added to the urgency of the environmental concerns. It turns out that dismantling the dams is cheaper than performing necessary repairs. And the repairs would actually reduce the dam’s ability to generate electricity, making it even less desirable.
So now was the right time to take action, even if the final deal wasn’t ideal for all environmentalists.
The dams won’t be removed overnight. The plan is to fully remove them by 2020.
If you want to read more about the controversy of hydroelectric power, go here.
For now, environmental activists can rejoice that a legislative victory was scored. And all the salmon will be rejoicing when they realize they’ll be able to get where they need to go.