Number: 2007-12
WHEREAS, the Klamath River has a storied history as one of the best salmon-producing rivers on the west coast of the United States with historic populations of over 1 million adult Chinook, coho, pink and chum salmon returning annually, as well as abundant steelhead; and
WHEREAS, Klamath River salmon and steelhead once supported a thriving ecosystem which in turn supported a strong and productive human culture, economy, and recreational and commercial salmon fishery; and
WHEREAS, four lower dams (Copco I, Copco II, Iron Gate, and JC Boyle) built on the Klamath River between 1918 and 1962 block all anadromous runs of salmon and steelhead from over 350 miles of historic high quality spawning habitat; and
WHEREAS, conditions of agricultural diversions, loss of wetlands, altered in-stream flows, drought, and degraded water quality have been exacerbated by the impacts of global warming to result in devastated salmon populations in the basin, resulting in the extinction of chum and pink salmon, and declines in Chinook salmon populations by over 90% and coho populations by 99%; and
WHEREAS, what was once a strong and productive fishery was declared a disaster and closed in 2006 by the federal government; and
WHEREAS, restoration of Klamath River salmon is biologically necessary, technically feasible, and economically beneficial to the Pacific Coast and to the citizens of the United States; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in an effort to meet the requirements of the Endangered Species Act and improve migration conditions for Chinook salmon, is currently examining a strategy to trap salmon at Iron Gate dam and haul them via truck to a point above JC Boyle dam for release in the Klamath River; and
WHEREAS, this trap and haul strategy does not comply with NOAA Fisheries’ requirement for full passage at the dams, and moreover, similar trap and haul efforts across the Pacific Northwest have resulted in a strong opinion that these programs are frequently not biologically supported; and
WHEREAS, a recent study by the California Energy Commission and the U.S. Department of the Interior concluded that removing the four lower dams on the Klamath River and replacing them with efficient power plants to replace the 150 megawatts of electricity they produce would be more cost-effective than attempting installation of fish ladders required by NOAA Fisheries and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and
WHEREAS, the four lower Klamath River dams do not create irrigation diversions; and
WHEREAS, the four lower Klamath River dams provide electricity for approximately 70,000 homes, a need that could be replaced by energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable resources;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled March 30-31, 2007, in Washington, D.C., supports the retirement and removal of the four lower Klamath River dams (Copco I, Copco II, and Iron Gate in northern California and JC Boyle in southern Oregon) as an essential requirement to recover and restore Klamath River salmon; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation supports a comprehensive effort by the States of Oregon and California and the Federal Government to enhance and restore the fisheries on the Klamath River and its tributaries both in the short and long run, to eliminate impediments to fish habitat and restore degraded water quality throughout the River and Upper Klamath Lake; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation supports educational efforts that inform the public of the economic and ecological benefits of retiring the four lower Klamath River dams and of the vital role salmon play in the cultural heritage of Pacific states; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation supports further economic analysis to determine how all parties affected by retirement and removal of the four Klamath dams are adequately and fairly compensated and further scientific analysis to determine the appropriate timing, actions to mitigate sediments and contaminants, and other factors affecting continuity of ecological health to achieve full restoration of the fishery.