On September 22, 1999 PacifiCorp signed an agreement to removeCondit Dam on the White Salmon River in Southwest Washington State.The culmination of two years of negotiations between state andfederal agencies, American Whitewater, and 13 other environmentalgroups. The agreement calls for removal of the 125-foot-tall concretedam that since 1913 has diverted water from the natural channelobstructing downstream navigation and blocking upstream fish passage.
The White Salmon River is well recognized in the paddling communityfor its challenging whitewater available year round. Jeff andTonya Bennett (A Guide to the Whitewater Rivers of Washington)describe four sections on the White Salmon comprising 25 milesof Class IV and V whitewater. The famed Green Truss run is describedas a “proving ground for many Class V paddlers; great vertical!”The section below Condit Dam is not even mentioned in the Bennett’sguidebook because the 125-foot-tall dam, coupled with steep canyonwalls downstream, effectively restricted access and thus boatingopportunities on this three-mile stretch to the Columbia River.Dam removal will allow paddlers to enjoy this scenic Class IIIfloat to the Columbia. Furthermore, Condit Dam inundated an additionalfour miles of the White Salmon River under Northwestern Lake.There is no telling what rapids are waiting to be reborn whenthe dam is removed. Sum total, dam removal equates to 7 additionalmiles of whitewater available year round on the White Salmon River.
This voluntary agreement signifies an important step in restoringfisheries and recreational opportunities on the White Salmon River,”said John Gangemi, American Whitewater Conservation Director.”More importantly, this agreement serves as a model for otherrivers where dam removal is being considered. After credible scientificstudy the stakeholders and utility collectively came to the conclusionthat dam removal was the best restoration alternative for theWhite Salmon River. Furthermore, this agreement reinforces thefinancial and societal obligation of utilities to remove damsthey have constructed and generated profits.”
American Whitewater recognized early on that the river mightbenefit immensely if Condit Dam were removed. In 1989, when theprocess first started, dam removal was not a concept embracedby many of the stakeholders. As early as 1992, American Whitewaterurged FERC to consider dam removal, “As this interventionproceeds, one of the questions considered will be the balancingof power generation against the benefits of restoring the WhiteSalmon to its historic free-flowing condition.” AmericanWhitewater recognized that dam removal and it’s associated recreationaland fishery benefits far outweighed the power generation valuefrom the project.
The settlement discussions focusing on dam removal were largelythe result of the outcome from the regulatory relicensing process.In October 1996, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),the federal agency overseeing licensing of private hydropowerdams, issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) outliningthe environmental mitigation and enhancement measures necessaryto ensure adequate resource protection in a new 30 year licensefor Condit. The FEIS imposed $30 million of license conditionsprimarily consisting of construction of fish ladders and screens.PacifiCorp determined that these new requirements would make theproject uneconomic to operate over the life of the 30-year license.In January 1997, PacifiCorp petitioned FERC to halt the licensingproceedings for Condit and initiated settlement discussions withthe intervenors in the licensing process.
The principal goal for the negotiations was to find a middlepath acceptable to all parties. The resulting agreement allowsPacifiCorp to continue generating power for an additional sevenyears without the costly FERC mandated requirements. During thisperiod, funds generated by the project operations will go towarddam removal, engineering, permitting, a fisheries enhancementfund and a fund to enhance a traditional Indian fishing site atthe mouth of the White Salmon River. The overall costs will notexceed $17.15 million. For all parties, this agreement gives strongassurance about dam-removal responsibilities and costs at Condit.Without the agreement, PacifiCorp customers and shareholders wouldhave faced making continued investments in an uneconomic projectwhile the environmental community would have faced uncertaintyin the future regarding parties ultimately responsible for fundingand completing dam removal.
Katherine Ransel, spokesperson for American Rivers and legalcounsel for the 13 other conservation groups, commended PacifiCorpfor taking a business-like approach to resolving this case. “Theagreement is a good result for the company’s customers becauseit is based on a sound financial plan and avoids protracted litigation,and is clearly the best result for the White Salmon River.”In addition to American Whitewater and American Rivers, otherenvironmental organizations signing the agreement were the ColumbiaGorge Audubon Society, Columbia Gorge Coalition, Columbia RiverUnited, Federation of Fly Fishers, Friends of the Columbia Gorge,Friends of the Earth, the Mountaineers, Rivers Council of Washington,The Sierra Club, Trout Unlimited, Washington Trout, and the WashingtonWilderness Coalition.
During the fall of 2006, a large hole will be drilled in thebase of the dam, and through it the reservoir will be drainedfairly rapidly. Most of the sediment will be flushed when thedam is breached. The dam will then be taken down in pieces, andonce again this federally designated wild and scenic river willbe completely free flowing for its 43-mile length from the flanksof Mt. Adams to the confluence with the Columbia River.