Promises and Challenges of Western Dam Removals: Lessons from the Lower Klamath Project
On February 1, 2020, Paul Weiland participated in a panel at the 2020 California Water Law Symposium, held at Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. Paul spoke on "Promises and Challenges of Western Dam Removals: Lessons from the Lower Klamath Project,” organized by Stanford University.
The Lower Klamath Agreement is a comprehensive and complex plan designed to address water management and use in the Klamath Basin. It involves the planned removal of four dams and tens of millions of dollars worth of restoration efforts. The panelists explored the federal, state, local, tribal, industry and civil society dynamics at play in both the negotiation and implementation of the Agreement. They charted the many regulatory and jurisdictional challenges that affect the Agreement's implementation and backgrounded the negotiations. The panel also touched upon the underlying context of competing water uses and a changing energy generation landscape, and provided larger takeaways for future potential dam removal projects in the American West.
The California Water Law Symposium is a collaborative student-run event that consistently brings together leading minds in water law to discuss California’s critical water issues.
