The Life Cycle of Dams:

An Analysis of Policy Change on the Rogue

River, Oregon

Wendy McDermottResource Management Graduate Student

Central Washington UniversityMay 24, 2011

Case-study approach provides for lessons-learned

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“Effective science and well-informed public policy are the avenues to successful management of environmental resources.”

~ William Graf (1992)

“Through documentation and analyses of case studies we can be guided by the light of science rather than

curse the darkness in which we must make projections.”

~ Bruce Babbitt (2002)

A Dammed Nation

Problem ~80,000 dams in the U.S. Disrupts natural flow regime Fragments ecosystems Block migrating fish passage Social displacement, migration

and resettlement

New Era of River Mgmt Convergence of a number of economic,

social, and environmental factors

Reflected in changing policies

to re-create more natural ecosystems and to conserve natural & cultural resources

Source: National Inventory of Dams, 2010

Predominant Reasons for Dam Removals in the U.S.

Environmental and Social Concerns

Age, Functional Status

Economics & Cost-benefit Analyses Marginal Benefits from Continued Operations FERC Relicensing Process

Hazard & Safety Ratings

Changes in Public Opinion

Rogue River Basin

~ 13,350 km² (5,156 mi²)

Five Subbasins: Applegate, Illinois Lower Rogue Middle Rogue Upper Rogue

Over 80 dams in the Basin

Medford

Ashland

Grants Pass

Gold Ray Dam

Savage Rapids Dam

The Rogue River346 km (~215 mi) in length

Originates at Boundary Springs in

Crater Lake National Park

Premier salmon & steelhead fishery,

whitewater rafting, and rugged scenery

One of original 8 rivers named in

Wild & Scenic Rivers Act of 1968

Upper Rogue

Middle Rogue

Lower Rogue

Rogue River Socio-Economics

Agricultural Industry:

2500 directly employed

9000 indirectly $141 million in

crop & livestock sales

pears, wine grapes, alfalfa, corn

(Climate Leadership Initiative, 2008)

Rogue River Socio-Economics

Fisheries $1.4 million commercial

fishing

$16 million sport fishing $1.5 billion non-use

values

Recreation/Tourism $30 million in economic

output 445 full- and part-time

jobs(ECONorthwest, 2009)

The Dams of the Study

Savage Rapids Dam

Gold Ray Dam

Medford

Ashland

Grants Pass

Gold Ray Dam

Savage Rapids Dam

Savage Rapids Dam

Built in 1921 by Grants Pass Irrigation District (GPID)

39’ high, 465’ long

Combination gravity & multiple arch dam

Irrigation

Grants Pass Irrigation District

GPID water right for 203 cfs

Removed in October 2009

Photos courtesy of Josephine County Hx Society

Gold Ray Dam

Built in 1904 by Ray Brothers to power Braden Mine

Originally log crib style

Replaced with concrete in 1941 by CA-OR Power Company

35’ high, 394’ long

Hydropower

Closed in 1972 by Pacific Power, deeded to Jackson County

Removed Summer 2010

Photos courtesy of Jackson County

Lowry’s Theoretic

al Framewor

k for Policy

Changes

Source: Lowry (2003)

Independent VariablesPOLITICAL RECEPTIVITY Interactions btwn Coalitions Reflect Political Receptivity

Identify primary stakeholders What percent in favor of removal?

Decision-making Venue Level of decision-making Points of Access

Costs of Maintaining Status Quo Which Alternative costs more?

Scientific Info on Potential Benefits Widely Embraced

Broad-based scientific consensus

PHYSICAL COMPLEXITY

Scale – Political Jurisdictions Not # of actors, but diversity of

their viewpoint Is there agreement?

Dimensionality – (Decision Points along the way)

Unidimensional – less layers of government

Multidimensional – more layers

Scope of Undertaking Size of dam, miles of river to be

restored, etc.

MethodsReviewed NEPA documents & tech reports Gained initial understanding of issues at hand

Six weeks in the Rogue Basin! Visited Southern Oregon Hx Society & Josephine Cnty

Hx Society Collected and reviewed newspaper articles & LTEs Conducted interviews with key informants

Read Public Hearing Transcripts & Public Comment

from NEPA planning processes Created database, tallied for or against removal Analyzed content to identify major themes

Savage Rapids Dam

History of Savage Rapids Dam

Built 1921 - lacked safe passage for fish

1929 – GPID granted water right for 230 cfs to

irrigate ~18,000 acres Never reached that amount of irrigated lands

1982 –GPID reports only 7,738 acres under irrigation

State of Oregon reduces water right to 97 cfs 1987 – GPID applies for additional 90 cfs

1988 – 1990 - NGOs protest water rights application

Settlement instructed GPID to study water conservation practices & investigate fish passage option including removal

Savage Rapids Dam con’t

1994 – GPID issues plan to resolve fish passage issues through dam removal Replace dam with pumping system

1995 – BOR releases Planning Report/Final EIS Preferred Alternative: Dam Removal/Pumping Facility Dam Retention Alternative No Action Alternative

BUT....Months later, new GPID Board reneges on removal,

launches statewide lobbying campaign!And…Senator Brady from Grants Pass became

Pres of State Senate – “Saving” dam becomes state priority!

Savage Rapids Dam

For the next DECADE – Political and legal campaign rages forward

Driven by “Save the Dam” contingency and Dam Removal Advocates State & Local level, U.S. Congress, Dept of Interior, and federal courts

1997 – Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Coho

Protected under the ESA as THREATENED

2001 – Settlement of federal & state litigation Required GPID to remove the dam

2006 – Funding in place, engineering & environmental

analyses complete, contracts awarded, construction begins

2009 – Dam completely removed

Gold Ray Dam

Gold Ray Dam: on the fastrack

2009 – Oregon Statewide Fish Passage Priority List

Gold Ray Dam = FIFTH greatest barrier to fish passage Existing fish ladder does not meet passage standards

2009 – Jackson County receives NOAA Coastal & Marine Habitat Restoration Grant

American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

Feb, 2010 – Draft EA issues Dam Removal Alternative (preferred) Dam/Fish Ladder Rehabilitation/Reconstruction Alternative No Action Alternative

Gold Ray Dam con’tMay 5, 2010 – Jackson County BOC

unanimous vote to remove the dam Order No. 80-10 – directs staff to take necessary

steps

June 2010 – EA clearance version – for Removal

May 24 to July 28, 2010 Appeal to OR Land Use Board of Appeals Appeal to Jackson County Hearings Officer

Cases dismissed/denied – Order No. 80-10 not a land use decision

U.S. District Court (OR District) over due process. Appellants didn’t have a case.

Removal continues, completed Oct 2010

Framework Revisited

Source: Lowry (2003)

Applying the Framework

Political Coalition/Receptivity to Change

Decision-Making Venue Tolerant to Change

Costs of Maintaining Status Quo High & Significant

Scientific Consensus on Benefits of Change

Physical Complexity(jurisdictions; decision points)

SRDLow/

Moderate

Low/Moderat

e High High High/Moderate

GRD High High High High Low

SRD = Savage Rapids Dam; GRD = Gold Ray Dam

Concluding ThoughtsFundamental changes have occurred but Savage Rapids much more slowly than Gold Ray

WHY? Conditions were different Savage Rapids wasn’t always Fundamental; reflected

Disjointed Changes for a long time Gold Ray had more pro-change variables in place

Lowry’s Framework A way to categorize the process

Thank you!Questions?

Courtesy of Josephine County Historical Society