Dam Will Give Way to River’s Fish Stocks
An 80-year-old dam that helps irrigate Oregon farmland will be knocked down and replaced with a new pumping station, boosting local fish runs, government officials announced in a new agreement.
The Savage Rapids Dam, which stands 39 feet high and 460 feet wide, has been a source of contention between farmers and conservationists for years. The state fisheries bureau said the dam was the “biggest killer” of steelhead and endangered salmon on the river.
The pumping station will divert water into irrigation canals without disturbing the fish.
The dam’s removal could cost the federal government as much as $23 million.
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