12-05-2006, 12:10 AM
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the proposed renewal of hydropower licenses for the four lower dams on the Klamath River. Despite ASA's strong push for removal of the dams due to their impact on the Klamath salmon populations, the FERC published a preferred alternative in the DEIS which does not call for the removal of the dams or installation of fish passage. The DEIS also failed to adequately address economic and water quality issues. The proposal, rather than calling for dam removal, proposes that fishery issues be addressed by trapping and trucking of anadromous species above and below the dams. ASA's filed comments on the DEIS that reiterated our stand on dam removal and criticized the report for its inadequate analysis of economic, fishery and water quality issues.