Success!

Capping an incredible series of successes for WaterWatch's Free the Rogue Campaign, on June 30, 2009, Jackson County received a $5 million stimulus grant from the Obama Administration to remove Gold Ray Dam. WaterWatch helped write the grant for the county and helped secure the political support necessary to make this award a reality. With crucial support from Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Greg Walden, the $5 million was provided from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s pool of $170 million earmarked for coastal and marine habitat restoration projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funds will finance scientific studies, public outreach, permitting, and dam demolition.  Jackson County just published its formal request for bids on the project and should know by the end of August whether or not contractors can remove the dam by the end of 2010 and within the County’s budget.

The Gold Ray project will represent one of the largest dam removals in the country, and follows in the wake of three other significant dam removals on the Rogue in the last two years. The removal of Savage Rapids Dam – also one of the largest removals in the country – is currently underway at rivermile 107.  Calendar year 2008 saw the removal of the Rogue’s Gold Hill Dam and the notching of Elk Creek Dam. After putting years of hard work into this effort, WaterWatch is thrilled to witness this unprecedented wave of river-restoring dam removals. 

Years of Analysis, Advocacy, and Negotiation Come to Fruition

The 38-foot high, 360-foot long Gold Ray Dam sits at rivermile 127.5 on the Rogue River.  It is an old, defunct hydroelectric dam that significantly impedes salmon and steelhead migration. Indeed, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has identified Gold Ray Dam as fifth in priority for removal or fish passage improvement on Oregon's Statewide Fish Passage Priority List.
In 1972, Jackson County took ownership of the dam and adjacent lands for the development of a recreational park. Until now, the county lacked the funding to resolve liability and public safety concerns associated with the dam. The structure also blocks boat traffic and is a maintenance burden for Jackson County taxpayers.
WaterWatch has worked closely for several years with Jackson County, relevant fisheries agencies, and other stakeholders to study the feasibility of removing or notching this dam.
In May, 2008, WaterWatch helped Jackson County secure a $100,000 grant to study sediment behind the dam - a precursor to any notching or removal plans. With the federal stimulus grant, contracting has commenced for the work on additional analysis, environmental review, and permitting, as well as final design, sediment management, reservoir restoration, and monitoring plans. Public input will be sought during the planning process. If the environmental review raises no red flags, dam removal could commence in June of 2010, and be completed by the fall of 2010.

Long-Term Benefits Ahead

Removal of Gold Ray will provide fish with better access to 333 miles of high quality salmon and steelhead spawning habitat upstream of the dam and reclaim approximately 1.5 miles of spawning habitat under the current dam reservoir. The dams’ removal will provide a boost to the Rogue’s coho salmon listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act, and augment runs of spring and fall Chinook salmon, summer and winter steelhead, resident cutthroat trout, and Pacific lamprey. Improvements to the Rogue River fishery achieved through dam removal are expected to contribute to a healthier coastal and in-river fishing economy in southern Oregon and northern California.