Biden signs law to protect Klamath Basin irrigators
President Joe Biden signed into a law on Jan. 4 a bill that will protect Klamath Project irrigators from paying the costs of operating or maintaining two dams that are not being removed as part of the largest dam removal project in history.
The bill, the Klamath Basin Water Agreement Support Act of 2024, was introduced by Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-OR-02) last spring.
“This will be extremely good news for the farmers of the Klamath Project, because this bill significantly reduces the risk of the farmers being assessed the millions upon millions of dollars it will take to upgrade and then retrofit the Keno and Link River dams, ownership of which PacifiCorp has transferred to the Bureau of Reclamation,” Bentz said, according to a Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) Facebook post.
Four of the hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River were removed from 2023-24, with the remaining dam removed late last summer. The project was a highly contentious issue, with opponents asserting dam removal would cause property damage and loss, along with higher utility rates. Removal proponents argued removing the dams would support fish habitat and populations.
Bill details
Bentz said the bill will direct the Bureau of Reclamation to operate the Link River and Keno dams consistent with existing contracts and not to impose any costs associated with the dams on water users. He added that the law is the ratification of agreements made 15 years earlier, which were not enforceable until now.
The bill also authorizes the secretary of the Interior to authorize certain studies and install infrastructure, such as fish screens, that may be needed on irrigation diversions as a result of fish migrations. In addition, the bill authorizes the secretary to enter agreements with the Tulelake Irrigation District for not more than 69% of the cost incurred by the district for the operation and maintenance of a pumping plant. Bentz said the facility provides considerable public benefits, including water to two national wildlife refuges.
“The passage of this legislation is a just result for farmers and ranchers who have sustained Klamath communities for the past century,” Bentz concluded in a statement.
The House bill had widespread bipartisan support and passed on Dec. 17. Senate companion legislation was unanimously approved on Dec. 19.
“This is a very important achievement, and great news for Klamath Project irrigators,” said KWUA President Tracey Liskey after the bill passed the House in December. Liskey testified in front of a congressional committee earlier in support of the bill. “We have been promised for years that we would not be stuck with these costs but need this legislation to make that promise real.”
Although the dam removal project has been complete for several months now, restoration work will continue for the next few years on more than 2,000 acres of land that were formerly submerged. — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor