GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - An ambitious deal calling for the removal of four hydroelectric dams to restore struggling salmon runs has been forged among farmers, Indian tribes, fishermen, conservation groups and government agencies battling over scarce water in Oregon and neighboring California.

The dams could be removed as early as 2015, according to the agreement. Their removal would be the largest such undertaking in American history, said Steve Rothert of the conservation group American Rivers.

This is good news, because every year more and more fish die because there is not enough water in the river. The shallow water is heated by the sun and cooks the salmon before they can make it upstream. Removing the dams may help restore the Klamath River's ability to sustain the salmon, which feed more than just the locals. These salmon may spawn here (one of the few places where conditions are right), but they travel around the world and provide food to lots of different creatures and people.

The agreement calls for giving the 1,000 farms on the Klamath Reclamation Project cut-rate electricity to run irrigation pumps, guaranteeing that farmers can lease lands on wildlife refuges, reducing the amount of water diverted from rivers and reservoirs for irrigation, and increasing the amount of water dedicated to salmon.

While I'm happy that the dams may come down, this has me worried. This seems like robbing Peter to pay Paul. What will happen when Oregon's wildlife refuges start suffering under the effects of drained water tables and the clearing of land for farms?


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