Rivers Reborn · Episode 6 of 12 · 42 min
The Ledger: What the Dams Gave and What They Cost
The dams delivered flood control, irrigation and the cheapest power in America. They also blocked the salmon, warmed the water and bred toxic algae, and in 2002 tens of thousands of dead salmon lay on the banks of the Klamath after irrigation diversions cut river flows during a drought. The episode builds an honest ledger, positive to negative, and lands on the moment it flipped.
Who's who
- Gale A. NortonInterior Secretary whose department directed Klamath water to farmers in 2002
- Dick CheneyVice President reported to have pressed for full irrigation deliveries
Where it happens
- Vanport, Oregon+1 more episodeCity destroyed by the 1948 Columbia flood
- Port of Lewiston, Idaho+1 more episodeFarthest-inland West Coast seaport, 465 river miles from the Pacific
- Klamath River, Oregon and California+3 more episodesSite of the 2002 fish kill
Timeline
- May 30, 1948Vanport flood destroys the city and drives basin-wide flood control.
- 1975Last lower Snake lock opens, letting barges reach Lewiston.
- 1991Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead begin to be listed under the Endangered Species Act.
- April 1, 2002Interior officials open the Klamath Project headgates for a full irrigation season.
- September 2002Largest adult-salmon die-off recorded in the western United States.
- 2007Washington Post series and congressional inquiry examine Interior's role.
Still debated
Estimates of the 2002 kill range from about 34,000 to 68,000-70,000 or more fish depending on method. Whether net benefits outweigh the fisheries loss depends on whether unpriced costs are counted, and Cheney's role is reported but not courtroom-proven.