Hydropower Reform Coalition - PacifiCorp

Settlement reached for Klamath's future

Rupak Thapaliya — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:18:16 -0600

Project: Klamath : P-2082

After years of negotiations, the Klamath River Basin Restoration Agreement, or simply a settlement agreement was finalized yesterday. The settlement agreement aims to restore salmon population, revitalize commercial fishing and support farming by local tribes while also hoping that irrigation water will be more appropriately allocated. Pacific Corps, the owner of the project, however, did not participate in the the settlement.

On the other hand, discussions for the removal of the four dams is still ongoing. Last month, FERC, in its Environmental Assessment determined that dam removal would be the most economical option.

Read the LA Times article on the settlement here.

2006 Removal for Bear River Dam in Idaho

John Seebach — Wed, 20 Jul 2005 07:00:00 -0500

Project: Bear River : P-20

Coalition members Idaho Rivers United and American Whitewater helped make a settlement promise become a reality: dam removal on the overregulated Bear River in Idaho.

Read the full press release from Idaho Rivers United:

July 20, 2005

Contact: Idaho Rivers United

Bill Sedivy, IRU, o) 208-343-7481 c) 208-841-5492

Bert Bowler, IRU, o) 208-343-7481

Bear River dam and hydropower project slated for removal

Pocatello - Idaho Rivers United and other members of the Bear River Environmental Coordination Committee (ECC) signed an agreement today seeking removal of the Cove Dam and Hydropower Project, located on the Bear River in southeastern Idaho.

The dam removal pact must now be reviewed and approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency that grants operating licenses to privately owned hydropower dams.

The Cove Project was identified during the 2003 relicensing of three dams on the Bear as a high cost/low value project that warranted further study to determine if decommissioning was a feasible alternative to continued operation. Studies undertaken since the relicensing showed that decommissioning Cove would:

Benefit ratepayers as the cost to repair and operate project would exceed market rates of power generated there.
Increase generation at the Grace Hydropower Plant, located directly upstream of the Cove Plant.
Enhance the aquatic resources in the Bear River and assist in the restoration of native cutthroat trout.
Have no effect on the ability of PacifiCorp to deliver irrigation water through the Bear River/Bear Lake irrigation system.

The Cove Dam is concrete structure 26-feet high and 141-feet long. Its removal will reconnect 29.3 miles of Bear, improving fish habitat and water quality, and reconnect important tributary streams to the main stem river.

"This is a great example of moving past the emotional debate over dam removal and making sound decisions based on economics and science," said Bill Sedivy, Executive Director of Idaho Rivers United.

"Not all dams are created equal," Sedivy added. "When they outlive their usefulness, or cause more harm and damage to the environment than they return in benefits to society, they ought to come down."

Over the last decade, dam removal has become mainstream. Since the historic, 1999 removal of Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River in Maine, 170 dams have been removed across the U.S. and dozens more removals are scheduled.

"Dams can do a lot of damage to the environment," Sedivy said. "They block fish passage, drown upstream habitat and alter downstream habitat, raise water temperatures and impair water quality generally. It makes good sense - ecologically and economically - to take down obsolete dams."

Restoration of the river corridor and removal of the Cove Project, which consists of the dam, a water flume that needs extensive repairs and a powerhouse, is expected to cost in excess of $2 million. The project will be funded in part by an ECC agreement that will allow greater power generation at the upstream Grace Dam. PacificCorp, owner of the facility, will pick up any additional costs.

The utility would like to begin deconstruction in the spring of 2006 and complete the project by fall, 2006.

The Bear River ECC is comprised of Idaho Rivers United, PacifiCorp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Parks and Recreation, Idaho Council of Trout Unlimited, Greater Yellowstone Coalition and American Whitewater.

Dam removal possible on Utah's Bear River

John Seebach — Sun, 03 Jul 2005 07:00:00 -0500

Project: Bear River : P-20

The Bear River project, a series of four dams, was consolidated under a single license in 2003 after a comprehensive settlement involving a broad group of stakeholders, including members American Whitewater, Trout Unlimited, and Idaho Rivers United. Now in license and settlement implementation, a stakeholder consensus was reached to remove one of the older developments, Cove Dam.

A description of the project and potential removal from Utah Power's (PacifiCorp) March 7th press release:

Proposal will outline Cove Project decommissioning

PORTLAND— An agreement has been reached on a proposal to retire the Cove Project, one of four PacifiCorp hydroelectric developments in Idaho on the Bear River. The proposal must be accepted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which granted a new federal license to the plants in December 2003. The process to evaluate the proposal could take about a year.

PacifiCorp reached agreement on the proposal among the same parties that reached settlement for the new Bear River Project license. The utility and these parties organized the Environmental Coordinating Committee (ECC), which is charged with helping implement the terms of the license.

A requirement to evaluate decommissioning the Cove Project was included in the new 30-year license issued by the FERC to PacifiCorp' s four Bear Lake hydroelectric projects in Idaho. If the plan is approved by the FERC, PacifiCorp would remove most of the Cove facilities from the site, including the 1-mile concrete and timber flowline. The Cove powerhouse would remain and PacifiCorp would conduct certain restoration work of the river in the vicinity of the Cove forebay and flowline.

Retirement of the Cove Project increases connectivity for fish and other aquatic resources in Bear River. This action will also enhance the generation potential of the Grace Plant, directly upstream, by reducing the bypass flow requirement.

Removal of the Cove Project will in no way affect or impair PacifiCorp obligations to deliver irrigation water through the Bear River system.

“This proposal will enhance aquatic resources in the Bear River and dovetail with PacifiCorp's FERC license commitment to participate in conservation of the Bonneville Cutthroat Trout,” said Therese Lamb, PacifiCorp' s Director of Relicensing and Compliance. “It will also protect irrigation water deliveries through the Bear River system.”

Bear River Project details:

The Soda Project, 14 megawatts, located 44 miles downstream of Bear Lake, completed in 1925. The Soda dam is 103 feet high and 433 feet long. The Soda reservoir has a surface area of 1,100 acres, and active storage capacity of 16,300 acre-feet, and a maximum water surface elevation of 5,720 feet.
The Grace Project, 33 megawatts, located six miles downstream of the Soda Project, completed in 1912 and enlarged several times through 1927.
The Cove Project, 7.5 megawatts, built in 1917 just downstream of Grace, to take advantage of the tailrace waters of the Grace powerhouse.
The Grace/Cove project features an upstream diversion dam 51 feet high and 180-foot-long; a 26,000-foot-long flow-line to carry water to the power house, and a 6,125-foot-long concrete and wood flume that carries water from the Grace power house to Cove.
The Oneida Project, 30 megawatts, 22 miles downstream of the Grace/Cove Project, built in stages between 1912 and 1920. The project dam is 111 feet high and 456 feet long; the reservoir has an active storage of 10,880 acre-feet and a surface area of 480 acres.
The Cutler Project, 29 megawatts, Cache County, Utah, first began producing power in 1927. The 109 foot-high Cutler Dam forms a 5,500 acre reservoir which is also a major recreation area. The reservoir includes a large wetland complex that is important habitat for dozens of bird species. The area surrounding the reservoir is mostly agricultural land. Cutler was granted a new license by the FERC in April 1994.

For information, contact:

Kevin Lewis, Idaho Rivers United, 208-343-7481

David Eskelsen, Utah Power, 801-220-2447

Utah Power Media Hotline, 800-775-7950

Salmon and People's Health Intertwined

John Seebach — Mon, 31 Jan 2005 06:00:00 -0600

Project: Klamath : P-2082

Karuk Tribal members' health is declining because the Klamath River salmon that used to make up most of their diet are declining, says a Washington Post article [scanned copy available below] published yesterday. The salmon that once amply supported the Tribe are now an endangered species, blocked from their habitat by dams and diseased or killed by poor water quality on their seasonal runs. According to a University of California study, the lack of fresh salmon in the Tribe's diet - and replacement of other sources of nutrition - have harmed the health of Tribal members.

The Tribe and several Coalition members are working together to restore the salmon runs through the Klamath River relicensing process.

For Immediate Release: January 30, 2005

For more information:

Leaf Hillman , Karuk Tribe: 530-493-5305 x2040 cell 541-821-7730

Ron Reed, Traditional Dipnet Fisherman, Karuk Tribe 530-627-3116 ext 48, cell 530-598-7947

Dr. Kari Norgaard, Sociologist, UC Davis 530-754-5457

Salmon Declines Threaten Tribe' s Health and Culture

Washington Post story links dams and decline of salmon to poor health

Washington, D.C.- Today, the Washington Post reported on a study by University of California sociologist Dr. Kari Norgaard documenting how the denied access to traditional food sources has affected the physical health of members of the Karuk Tribe. The Karuk live along the Klamath River in Northern California. Tribes and conservationists point to this report as the first clear link between the decline of Klamath River salmon due to dams and water mismanagement, and human health.

“As salmon in the Klamath River have dwindled, the Karuks have been forced to adopt a Western-style high starch diet,” said Dr. Norgaard. “As the Tribe has been denied access to salmon, the incidence of diabetes and heart disease among tribal members has skyrocketed.” For the Karuk, salmon once represented a staple of their diet. Salmon is high in protein and Omega-3 fatty acids which have recently received much positive acclaim by the medical community.

According to Dr. Norgaard's study, as the fishery has declined, rates of heart disease and diabetes for Karuk tribal members have reached levels two to three times higher than the national average.

“The lack of good food is killing our people,” said Ron Reed, a Traditional Fisherman for the Tribe. “Not so long ago you could fill a freezer with salmon and have good food to eat for an entire year. But now the salmon have been decimated by the dams and the low river flows. Instead of having healthy food to eat – fish – we are relegated to eating commodity foods. That's our subsidy, unhealthy high starch foods. Because of our poverty, we' re forced to eat what the government gives us.”

Anthropological reports estimate that before European contact at the time of the gold rush (1850' s), the average Karuk consumed 450 pounds of salmon per person per year, or about 1.2 pounds per person per day. Today, salmon consumption is less than five pounds per person per year, nearly a 99% decrease. This year the Tribe caught fewer than 100 fish in their traditional dip net fishery, a record low. Yet dietary changes for the Tribe are not a matter of long-ago history. Until the 1960's the Karuk were catching hundreds of fish per day during fishing season.

“When I was a child I ate salmon twice a day” says Bill Tripp, age 31. “ Now we can hardly get any.”

According to Dr. Norgaard, “early anthropologists studying the Klamath Basin Tribes, identified the Karuk, Hupa and Yurok tribes as the wealthiest people in what is now known as California prior to contact with Europeans. Today they are amongst the poorest. This dramatic reversal is directly linked to the destruction of the fisheries resource base.”

The loss of the most abundant food source, Spring Chinook salmon, came after the construction of dams, the last of which was constructed in 1964. Spring run salmon historically spawned high in the upper basin, but since the construction of the dams their access to 350 miles of spawning habitat has been denied. Currently, Iron Gate and the four other dams on the Klamath owned by PacifiCorp are undergoing a relicensing process through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

“ t is ironic that today doctors around the nation are urging their patients to eat more salmon and adopt the kind of diet that the Karuk enjoyed for thousands of years,” concluded Dr. Norgaard. “But because of their poverty and the decline of Klamath salmon, the Karuk themselves are being forced into the kind of unhealthy diet that people in other areas are trying to get away from.”

Tribal leaders such as Vice-chair Leaf Hillman see only one solution to this seemingly intractable problem. “We want to bring the salmon home to feed our people. To do that we must remove the Klamath River dams and restore our river.”

In the past PacifiCorp spokesmen have suggested that the dams should remain because they improve water quality. To Hillman this is a laughable assertion, “That' s like saying that coal-fired power plants are good for air quality, its simply not true.”

The fate of the dams, and the Karuk Tribe, may be decided as the Klamath dams are relicensed. The Dams are owned by PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of the multinational energy giant Scottish Power (NYSE- SPI), based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The relicensing deadline is March, 2006.

You can download the entire report from Friends of the River's website.

Settlement agreement signed on Washington's Lewis River

John Seebach — Tue, 30 Nov 2004 06:00:00 -0600

A comprehensive settlement has been reached (hurrah!) on the Lewis River projects in Washington. The settlement will allow for improved and restored flows, and sets fish passage triggers that may open up as much as 174 miles of new habitat.

Read PacifiCorp's press release, or read on for the lead conservation group's statement on the settlement. Other signing organizations include Trout Unlimited and Native Fish Society.

Statement by Rob Masonis, Northwest regional director of American Rivers, on the Lewis River hydro-licensing agreement

November 30, 2004

Today' s agreement shows that hydropower dams can be improved to benefit healthy rivers and the quality of life in a basin' s communities.

It proves that diverse interests -- utilities, native tribes, federal and state resource agencies, counties and conservation groups -- can come together in the dam relicensing process and arrive at positive solutions that work for people, fish and wildlife, and healthy rivers.

We applaud the agreement' s strong measures that provide over $5 million for habitat restoration, and that will allow fish renewed access to 174 miles of habitat. Restoring and opening habitat is critical to the recovery of listed Columbia River stocks.

The parties will play an ongoing, collaborative role in guiding implementation of the agreement. American Rivers will help ensure that the river restoration and salmon recovery measures are informed by the best science and are implemented effectively.

Now that PacifiCorp and Cowlitz PUD have pledged to do their parts to ensure the vitality of the Lewis River into the future, the Clark County Council should do its part – by stopping harmful gravel mining on the East Fork and passing a strong Critical Areas Ordinance package in early 2005.

This agreement provides a long-term vision for the health of the Lewis River. We urge Clark County to use similar long-term, watershed-based thinking when making decisions that will impact the clean water, fish and wildlife, and quality of life for generations to come.

Studies Show PacifiCorp Could Remove Dams Safely, Cheaply

John Seebach — Mon, 19 Jul 2004 23:00:00 -0500

Project: Klamath : P-2082

Contact: Steve Rothert of American Rivers, 530-277-0448
Curtis Knight of California Trout, 530-926-3755
Chuck Bonham of Trout Unlimited, 510-528-4164
Brian Barr of World Wildlife Fund, 541-488-2716

KLAMATH RIVER, Calif., July 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Studies released today by a collection of conservation groups suggest that the option of removing one or more of the five mainstem dams on the Klamath River may be more cost effective and technically viable than previously thought. In line with the 2003 National Academy of Sciences' recommendation to study the removal of Klamath River dams, American Rivers, California Trout, Friends of the River, Trout Unlimited, and World Wildlife Fund (conservation groups) and the Klamath River Inter-Tribal Fish and Water Commission engaged experts to evaluate certain costs and effects of removing four dams, Iron Gate, Copco 1 and 2, and JC Boyle.

PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Scottish Power, owns five dams on the Klamath River that block salmon and steelhead from reaching more than 350 miles of their historic habitat. The four lowest dams generate power but provide no flood control or water supply benefits. They have contributed to a 90 percent decline in salmon populations and add to degraded water quality far downstream of the dams. PacifiCorp is seeking a new 30-50 year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to operate its hydropower project.

"Our goal is the recovery of native fish populations in the Klamath River basin. One cornerstone for reaching this goal is the reintroduction of salmon and steelhead to the 350 miles of habitat blocked by PacifiCorp's dams," said Brian Barr of World Wildlife Fund.

Conservation groups have worked collaboratively for the last four years with PacifiCorp, Native American tribes and other stakeholders to gather information to analyze alternatives for improving fish populations, water quality and other resources impacted by the dams. Although PacifiCorp acknowledges the need to restore salmon, the Company did not propose restoring salmon and steelhead passage in its 7,000-page license application. Several fish passage options have been discussed during the relicensing proceeding, including constructing ladders, hauling fish around the dams in trucks, and removing dams. Unlike the other fish passage options, however, PacifiCorp refuses to study dam removal in detail. The studies released today by conservation groups analyze the cost of deconstructing the dams, the economic value of foregone power generation, and the effects of releasing stored sediments to the lower river.

"The Klamath dams are pretty old and these studies suggest that they may not produce enough juice to pay off the investment that will be necessary to secure a new license," said Steve Rothert with American Rivers. "PacifiCorp has a responsibility to its shareholders and customers to examine this scenario for itself."

"We hope these studies will shed some light on restoration opportunities in the Klamath River and provide a basis for fact- based decisions on these important issues," said Chuck Bonham of Trout Unlimited.

A principal concern of dam removal is the management of sediments built up in the reservoirs. "Our studies show that the Klamath River's flow would quickly carry the sediment to the ocean. In a matter of months after removal, it would be difficult to notice a difference in the lower river," said Steve Rothert of American Rivers. Because information gathered to date suggests it would be possible to allow the river to carry the sediment downstream, the excavation and disposal of reservoir sediment -- a costly aspect of dam removal -- would be eliminated.

"Our engineering study indicates the four lowest dams could be dismantled and safely disposed of for less than $40 million. By contrast, the construction of fish ladders and fish screens at those same four dams could cost up to $150 million," said Curtis Knight of California Trout.

The Klamath River dams supply less than 1 percent of PacifiCorp's customer demand, and the California Energy Commission has concluded that project power could easily be replaced by existing and planned power plants in the area.

The study on foregone power generation estimates the annual value of Klamath hydropower is approximately $21 million currently. PacifiCorp's license application states it would cost $23 million per year to produce power on the Klamath under the Company's proposed plan, which does not include fish passage facilities. NOAA Fisheries has indicated it may require fish ladders to be constructed, which could increase costs to $30 million per year or more. According to PacifiCorp estimates, the cost of replacing its hydro project with wind power would cost less than $27 million per year.

"We do not take the issue of dam removal lightly -- we recognize that people have interests in these dams that must be addressed. We conducted these studies because we believe citizens are entitled to informed choices from decision makers," said Curtis Knight of California Trout.

The FERC is starting an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to analyze the impacts of PacifiCorp's dams. In this Environmental Impact Statement, FERC will study alternatives to PacifiCorp's proposal to leave all dams in the river without providing fish passage for salmon and steelhead. Conservation groups will submit the three commissioned studies to FERC this week to improve the understanding of one of the alternatives already identified by FERC for detailed analysis -- the decommissioning and removal of at least some Klamath River dams and facilities.

Trout Unlimited's Chuck Bonham said, "Even though the backdrop for the relicensing of these dams may be the most contentious river basin in the West, it need not be that way going forward. We stand firm in our belief that the impacts these dams cause to salmon and steelhead are best resolved by bringing the basin's stakeholders together to forge a solution."

Pacificorp to remove Powerdale dam on Oregon's Hood River

John Seebach — Fri, 06 Jun 2003 07:00:00 -0500

Project: Powerdale : P-2659

Salem, Ore. -- Today, Governor Theodore R. Kulongoski cheered a cooperative agreement among state and federal resource agencies, PacifiCorp, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, American Rivers and the Hood River Watershed Group, whereby the Powerdale Hydroelectric Project will be decommissioned and portions of it removed beginning in 2010.

The Powerdale Hydroelectric Project is located on the Hood River in Hood River, Oregon. The six-megawatt project is owned by PacifiCorp and can serve the needs of about 3,000 typical residential customers. Powerdale's federal operating license expired in 2000, and rather than accepting a new license, PacifiCorp approached parties to the licensing process to see if an alternative to a new license could be negotiated.

"I'd like to commend all parties to the settlement process for working together to reach common ground," said Governor Kulongoski during a ceremony today in his office at the State Capitol. "Constructive, collaborative settlement talks like these are the model for how difficult natural resource issues should be handled."

"We believe this agreement is in the best interests of our customers because Powerdale will continue to operate for several more years providing low-cost power," said Judi Johansen, chief executive officer for PacifiCorp. "But at the same, time the agreement supports the long-term objectives of the resource agencies and other interest groups in the Hood River Basin."

If PacifiCorp had chosen to accept a new operating license, Powerdale's future economic viability was doubtful. A new license would have come with more-restrictive operating conditions, and the plant would have also required a considerable amount of new capital investment to keep it operating for the next 30 to 50 years.

The company determined that it made more sense for its customers to close the plant in 2010 and use its capital resources for other more cost-effective generating sources.

Along with the project owner, PacifiCorp, other parties to the settlement include, National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Oregon Water Resources Department, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, American Rivers and the Hood River Watershed Group.

The Powerdale Project now has a small diversion dam with an operating fish ladder. Water is conveyed via a three-mile-long flowline to the downstream powerhouse close by where the Hood River flows into the Columbia River.

A fish-counting station connected to the dam's fish ladder is owned by the Bonneville Power Administration and operated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs. The facility is critical to fish research that will help with salmon and steelhead recovery efforts in the basin. For this and other reasons, the agreement permits continued project operation until 2010, at which time the dam will be removed.

"We are pleased that the parties were able to reach agreement that meets everyone's interests," said David McAllister, ODFW habitat division administrator. "This agreement ensures restoration of the Hood River and protection of riparian habitat for fish and wildlife."

The fish ladder, which was installed when the dam was built, continues to allow the sorting of fish at the station as well as passage of anadromous fish into the upper Hood River Basin.

PacifiCorp will not be required to install new fish screens for operations through 2010. However, all other operating measures that would have been required in a new license will be in effect until the project is decommissioned. Further, the project will be closed each year between April 15 and June 30 to ensure protection of downstream-migrating juvenile fish.

"This agreement demonstrates that we can work together and do what is right for rivers and the fish, wildlife, and people who depend on them. We commend PacifiCorp for its leadership. The Hood River will be healthier thanks to the improved flows and fish passage," said Brett Swift of American Rivers.

The overall settlement also provides that PacifiCorp will transfer to an agreed-upon public entity the 465 acres of land associated with the hydroelectric project, thereby protecting the natural character of the Hood River Basin as it approaches the Columbia River. PacifiCorp will also provide more than $150,000 in a trust fund to ensure future maintenance of these lands. The historic powerhouse will remain in place, but the tower with the surge tank will be removed.

The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, which is a co-manager of the fisheries resources in the Hood River Basin, also noted that the settlement reaffirms their right under the Treaty of 1855 to fish in the basin.

"Fishing is a way of life for our people," said Tribal Council Chairman, Garland Brunoe. "The removal of this dam is a good step toward the recovery of the fishery, so that this fundamental part of our culture will not be lost to future generations."

Powerdale was first put into service in 1923 and has been operated for the customers of PacifiCorp ever since.

PacifiCorp serves 1.5 million customers in six western states as Pacific Power and Utah Power. The company operates an 8,200-megawatt power system consisting of hydro, thermal, wind and geothermal generation.

PacifiCorp also has reached a separate settlement with licensing parties for its Condit Hydroelectric Project on the White Salmon River across the Columbia River from Hood River in Washington State. Through that settlement, PacifiCorp has agreed to remove Condit Dam in the year 2006.

For further information please contact:

Dave Kvamme, PacifiCorp – 503-813-7279
Keith Kirkendall, National Marine Fisheries Service - 503-230-5431.
Anne Pressentin, OR Department of Fish and Wildlife – 503-872-5264 ext. 5356
Richard D. Bailey, OR Water Resources Department – 503-378-8455 ext. 256
Michael Llewelyn, OR Department of Environmental Quality – 503-229-5324
Cynthia Starke, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs – 541-382-3011
Brett Swift, American Rivers – 503-827-8648
Amy Souers, American Rivers – 206-213-0330 x19
Chuck Gehling, Hood River Watershed Group – 541-296-6866

Dam Removal on the American Fork River in Utah

John Seebach — Mon, 02 Jun 2003 07:00:00 -0500

Project: American Fork : P-696

On February 6th, several stakeholders signed a settlement agreement to decommission and remove a small diversion dam and a two-mile pipeline that make up the American Fork project in Utah. Owner PacifiCorp, Trout Unlimited, American Whitewater, the Forest Service, National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife, and several state agencies agreed to take out project works in Lone Peak Wilderness, Uinta National Forest, and the Timpanogos Cave National Monument in American Fork Canyon.

Originally constructed in 1907 before public lands and water protections, this dam adversely affects the American Fork River, has structural problems, and generates very little energy. Under the agreement, PacifiCorp plans to close the power plant in September 2006 and remove the diversion structure and pipeline by the end of 2007.