Re:Klamath River dams to be removed in project touted by Cal...
by gumby on Sunday August 20, 2023 @04:01PM
(#37202476)
Fish ladders aren't magic. Find a photo of a salmon at the end of its migration: exhausted and thin after all that work. A fish ladder is better than nothing at all, but a terrible "solution".
And in the end the real issue is ecological restoration, of which salmon are only a part. Fortunately the case is easy for these dams because the dams don't pay for themselves.
In general dams are pretty terrible, but like so many things can be worth the tradeoff. But the "worth" involves human life (e.g. wiping out the hetch hetchy valley so that people on the SF peninsula can have water). But when there's no clear benefit at all, the downsides (buildup of heavy metals behind the dam, damage to fish and other wildlife, earthquake risks....) are decisive.
And in the end the real issue is ecological restoration, of which salmon are only a part. Fortunately the case is easy for these dams because the dams don't pay for themselves.
In general dams are pretty terrible, but like so many things can be worth the tradeoff. But the "worth" involves human life (e.g. wiping out the hetch hetchy valley so that people on the SF peninsula can have water). But when there's no clear benefit at all, the downsides (buildup of heavy metals behind the dam, damage to fish and other wildlife, earthquake risks....) are decisive.