Tribes along the Klamath River hope removing four dams will help restore salmon, considered integral to Indigenous cultures
“Tribal nations and Native people are celebrating a decision made Thursday by federal regulators approving a plan for the largest dam removal plan in the country’s history.
The move is considered a crucial step in saving dwindling salmon populations but also as a sign the federal government is serious about respecting treaty rights and Indigenous culture…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to transfer ownership of four dams owned by utility company PacificCorp on the Klamath River in northern California and southern Oregon to the two states and a nonprofit formed to manage the project. The commission called the decision “historic” and “momentous” because tribal advocacy influenced the outcome. Some hope this might lead to greater consideration of treaty rights and Native culture in federal permitting decisions around power generation and dams.
The decision is expected to allow the decommission and destruction of the dams and open up hundreds of miles of a river that once was one of the richest salmon rivers in the U.S. Since the four dams were built between 1918 and 1962, salmon have been blocked from reaching spawning areas, contributing to a drastic decline in the number of salmon in the river…
“The Klamath salmon are coming home,” Yurok Chairman Joseph James said in a statement after the vote. “The people have earned this victory and with it, we carry on our sacred duty to the fish that have sustained our people since the beginning of time.”…
Dam removal is expected as soon as next year and wrap up by the end of 2024.” -via Indian Country Today
