States, federal agencies will seek removal of Klamath dams

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Oregon, California, the federal government and others have agreed to go forward with a plan to remove four hydroelectric dams in the Pacific Northwest without approval from a reluctant Congress.

A spokesman for dam-owner PacifiCorp says the removal agreement is part of a “major announcement” planned for Wednesday by the governors of both states and U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.

The agreement keeps alive a struggling effort to broker peace in the Klamath basin, which has long been the site of intense fighting over the sharing of scare water between farms and fish.

PacifiCorp spokesman Bob Gravely says a nonprofit corporation will take ownership of the dams and assume liability for any damages that stem from their removal. The plan still must be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.