ODEQ Issues Draft Certification for Section 401 Water Quality Permit for Proposed Dam Removal

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) has released its draft Section 401 Water Quality Certification for the proposed removal of the J.C. Boyle hydroelectric development, located in Klamath County, Oregon. The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) submitted its application to the ODEQ in September 2016 for water quality certification pursuant to Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act.

“KRRC is currently reviewing the draft conditions of certification,” said KRRC Executive Director Mark Bransom. “The issuance of this draft is a positive and important step forward in the regulatory timeline of the KRRC project.”

Members of the public are invited to comment on the draft certification for the removal of the J.C. Boyle Dam, reservoir, powerhouse and related infrastructure at public hearings on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. The meetings will take place at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. at the Oregon Institute of Technology, College Union Auditorium, 3201 Campus Drive, Klamath Falls, Oregon. Written comments are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 6, 2018.

The J.C. Boyle hydroelectric development is part of the Lower Klamath Project that also includes the Copco No.1, Copco No.2, and Iron Gate facilities in Siskiyou County, California. This draft section 401 water quality certification specifically addresses the proposed actions located in Oregon. The removal of the project’s California developments will be addressed under a separate water quality certification administered by the California State Water Resources Control Board.

More information is available at: www.oregon.gov/deq/get-involved/documents/070618Klamathpn.pdf.

The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) is an independent nonprofit organization founded in 2016 as part of the amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA). KRRC is part of a cooperative effort to re-establish the natural vitality of the Klamath River so that it can support all communities in the basin. Signatories of the amended KHSA incude the states of California and Oregon, local governments, tribal nations, dam owner PacifiCorp, irrigators, and several conservation and fishing groups. KRRC was formed for the sole purpose of taking ownership of four PacifiCorps dams — J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1 & 2, and Iron Gate – and then removing these dams, restoring formerly inundated lands, and implementing required mitigation measures in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations. KRRC’s work is funded by PacifiCorp customer surcharges and California Proposition 1 water bond funds.

KRRC values transparency and cooperation with all stakeholders and is committed to working with residents and governments to minimize any nuisance or negative impacts while enhancing the project’s local benefits.