This may be a short month, but it was a big one for us. We excitedly launched our 2022 version of Dams Out– a comprehensive report on the top 5 dams in California that are ripe for removal, including the history of each dam, the current situation, and plans for removal. The dams chosen are Klamath dams, Eel River dams, Matilija, Rindge, and Battle Creek dams. Despite the impact dams have on rivers and fish, we realize that some provide more benefit to society than others for things like flood control, water supply, and hydroelectric power. The five dam projects chosen here are deadbeat dams; they have outlived their functional lifespans and are causing serious issues in their surrounding communities and watershed.
It turns out that the timing of this campaign couldn’t be better as we just heard big news regarding the most well-known of those 5 dams: Klamath (to be clear we are counting the four dams to be removed on the Klamath as one of our top five). Last Friday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released its draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the proposed removal of the lower four Klamath River dams. In comparing the impacts of dam removal to current conditions, the DEIS concludes that dam removal provides significant economic, environmental, and cultural benefits to northern California and southern Oregon.
We are very pleased with the findings in the DEIS, and while the timeline is still extremely tight, we look forward to dam removal beginning in 2023. This positive outcome is owed to decades of work by so many, led by the numerous tribal communities along the river who for over 100 years have been impacted by these dams. Learn more about this coalition that CalTrout is a part of on the Reconnect Klamath website.
Stay tuned for what we hope will be more good news on the removal of California’s top 5 dams.
Best,
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.