Now you can help defend their river and way of life!
Scottish Power's subsidiary in America owns and operates a complex of dams on the klamath River, once America's third greatest salmon producing river. However, since the construction of the first dam in 1917, the salmon populations have plummeted to 10% of pre-dam levels and some runs have gone extinct altogether. In addition, other fish such as the sturgeon, lamprey and candlefish have either gone extinct or become rare.
The Klamath River starts in Southern Oregon and flows into Northern California as it makes its way to the Pacific. The Hoopa, Yurok, Karuk, and Klamath Tribes have lived along the banks of the Klamath River since 'time immemorial'. These cultures still depend on the fishery for sustenance and the fish form the basis of the tribes' cultural and ceremonial practices. The tribes are related to the salmon physically and spiritually and one can not survive without the other.
Scottish Power's dams harm the fish by degrading water quality and blocking access to over 350 miles of habitat. These dams have no functional fish ladders, and some, like the giant 178 foot tall Iron Gate Dam, are too tall to accomodate them. Currently the dams are being re-licensed by the US government and Scottish Power has thus far NOT proposed a strategy to provide fish passage.
The tribes, environmentalists, and commercial fishermen have joined forces to demand restoration of the Klamath fishery. We want to "Bring the Salmon Home" to the upper reaches of the river for the first time in nearly 100 years and restore healthy populations.
What you can do
You can help by urging Scottish Power to force its American subsidiary, PacifiCorp, live up to its green image. Please email or write the company and ask that they work with the Tribes, environmentalists, and fishermen to find a real solution. The real solution will include a strategy to remove some of the dams and fit functional fish ladders on others.
You can write Scottish Power at:
Scottish Power plc
1 Atlantic Quay
Glasgow G2 8SP
United Kingdom
email: esirfeedback@scottishpower.com
Myths and Facts about the issue
Myth:The dams are needed for farming.
Fact:These dams do not provide irrigation water for farming. The large farming project in the Klamath basin is located far upstream of the dam complex.
Myth:The dams provide energy to a region that desperately needs more power.
Fact:The California Energy Commission issued a study that concludes the Klamath dams are so inefficient that the samll number of electricity they produce is easily replaceable by other sources.
Myth:The company need to operate the dams in order to make ends meet.
Fact: these dams contribute less than 2% to the American subsidiaries power portofolio.
Myth:Since the dams were built long ago by another compnay, it is not Scottish Power's problem.
Fact:When Scottish Power purchased PacifiCorp, they also purchased the responsibility of acting in an environmentally and socially responsible manner in the Klamath River region.
Related
Re: Scottish Power Threatens Native American Cultures