Klamath Dam Decommissioning Project

Klamath Dam Decommissioning Project

Lower Klamath Hydroelectric Dam Decommissioning Project Updates

The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (“KRRC”), along with the states of California and Oregon, (“Project Proponents”) have been participating in proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) to take ownership of four PacifiCorp dams comprising the Lower Klamath Project (P-14803), three of which lie in Siskiyou County—Copco No. 1 & No. 2, and Iron Gate, and propose to remove the lower Klamath Dams.

On November, 17, 2022, FERC issued its order approving the surrender of the license for, and removal of the facilities of, the Lower Klamath Project subject to terms and conditions that are discussed in more depth below. In FERC’s order, FERC stated that after “balancing the environmental benefits with the issues raised by opponents of dam removal, [FERC] find[s] that license surrender, decommissioning, and removal of the project developments are in the public interest.” Additionally, FERC stated that the Project’s funding was sufficient at $450 million.

Supporting documents, including the summary and most up-to-date reports are below.

Questions, comments, or concerns can be directed to the County’s email address for the project: lkdinfo@co.siskiyou.ca.us.

FERC Letter

County Water Quality Memo KRRC Water Quality Reports

Klamath Mitigation Fund FAQ Siskiyou County FAQ

KRRC Timeline Presentation KRRC 2022 Public Disclosure Form 990

County Memorandum - Floodplains County Memorandum - Cultural Resources

Klamath Mitigation Fund FAQ Website

klamathmitigationfund@gmail.com

Communication with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission:

Those interested in learning more about the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), its role in the Lower Klamath Dam Removal project, and how to file a comment and/or complaint to FERC should visit their Office of Public Participation (OPP) at https://www.ferc.gov/OPP. You may also call FERC’s OPP at 202-502-6595, or send an email to OPP@ferc.gov . Please use the Lower Klamath Dams Project and Docket numbers when making communication: FERC Project Number – 2082, FERC Docket Number – 14803.

The purpose of FERC’s Office of Public Participation is to “empower, promote, and support public voices at” FERC. The functions of the OPP are varied but mainly include:

Engaging with the public through direct outreach and education to facilitate greater understanding of Commission processes and solicit broader participation in matters before the Commission.
Acting as a liaison to members of the public affected by and interested in Commission proceedings, by providing ongoing process information on individual proceedings and responding to requests for technical assistance.
Coordinating with Commission program offices to improve, or, as appropriate, make recommendations to improve existing Commission processes in a manner responsive to public input, to ensure processes are inclusive, fair, and easy to navigate.