Sacramento, CA – Audubon California today commended the deal between Oregon, California, and PacifiCorp to remove four dams on the Klamath River and restore more than 400 miles of river habitat for fish while noting that the Klamath wildlife refuges remain without adequate water supplies to support waterfowl populations.

“We’re excited to see the removal of the Klamath River dams and this is a good first step to addressing some of the problems in the basin,” said Audubon California Director of Public Policy Michael Lynes. “Unfortunately, today’s deal does not provide anything for the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges, which provide habitat for 80% of the waterfowl along the Pacific Flyway and which have been chronically shorted on water supplies for decades.”

Wednesday’s announcement from the governors of Oregon and California came after months of negotiations between the states and PacificCorp to remove the dams and circumvent obstacles put in place by members of Congress who oppose dam removal and had stymied approval of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. While fish conservation groups were part of the negotiations, advocates for the birds and refuges were not included in discussions.

“The people involved in this agreement talk a great deal about the fish, tribes, and farmers, but no one mentions the birds and the refuges,” Lynes said. “We hope that today’s announcement affirms a renewed commitment to building a sustainable management system in the Klamath Basin, one that provides for the human and wildlife communities.”

About Audubon California 

Audubon California is building a better future for California by bringing people together to appreciate, enjoy and protect our spectacular outdoor treasures. With more than 50,000 members in California and an affiliated 48 local Audubon chapters, Audubon California is a field program of the National Audubon Society.

More information is available at www.ca.audubon.org.

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