don mackintosh protesting Klamath Dam removal 102011

Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis
Upholding rural Americans' rights to grow food,
own property, and caretake our wildlife and natural resources.

10/15/2011

Honorable Siskiyou County Supervisors,

My name is Don Mackintosh and I own a ranch on Hoy Road in Weed.  I am retired 
and spent 28 years with PG&E involved in power grid planning and operations.  In 
listening to the three minute public comments, I heard several false statements given by two 
speakers stating that 4 hydroelectric dams were old, worn out, needing repair,  and did 
not produce much power.  

I decided to use my three minutes to dispute the false statements.    From 2005 
to 2008 we had a California Public Utilities Commission Protest Proceeding  
A05-12011 Don & Judy Mackintosh/PacificCorp, 100 filed documents which we won.

During the proceeding we paid $12,000 for a certified power flow study of PG&E northern 
California and PacificCorp southern Oregon.  It shows the four hydroelectric generation 
dams power output is 169 mega watts and supplies the power for a portion of 
southern Oregon, Siskiyou County and sends 70 mega watts south to PG&E.  The 
dams are well maintained in good condition.  The power they produce is clean cheap 
efficient dependable power which can be upgraded and last forever.  
 
Attached is my comment to the Oct 20 Public Hearing on Klamath Dam 
Removal  EIS/EIR.

10/15/11

PROTESTING THE REMOVAL OF FOUR KLAMATH RIVER DAMS

I spent 28 years with Pacific Gas and Electric in Power Control. I was involved in power

system planning and operations including power generation. For the last 13 years I have

owned a ranch in Siskiyou County. From my experience in the power business and as a

rancher I protest the removal of the four Klamath River Dams.

To begin with, hydroelectric power is the cleanest, cheapest, and the most dependable

power generation. The generation units and the infrastructure are already in place and

operational. The fish can survive and navigate around hydroelectric generation. For

these reasons and the many other reasons listed below, the Klamath River Dam Removal

Project should be terminated.

The four Klamath River Hydro Generation Dams are the power supply (170 mega watts)

for Siskiyou County and a portion of Southern Oregon. They also deliver 70 mega watts

south to PG&E. This is clean, cheap and dependable power and would have to be replaced

by another 170 mega watt generation plant which would have to be coal, natural gas, nuclear,

or oil. Wind and solar are not dependable power. The point is, the rate payer will pay for

the cost of dam removal ($1.9 billion), the cost of building the replacement power generation

plant and the increased energy cost difference between hydroelectric and the new replacement

generation. PacificCorp was pressured into giving up the hydrogenation and it was not

their first choice.

BELOW ARE PROTEST POINTS AGAINST DAM REMOVAL

· Agriculture is the leading economic base for Siskiyou County and dam removal will result in

forcing several hundred farms and ranches out of business further reducing US food

production.

Everyone in the United States is penalized for this action.
· Klamath River is the water supply to the City of Yreka.
· The annual loss of up to $1,000,000 for county tax revenue from PacificCorp Dams.
· The Siskiyou County lumber industry was destroyed by the spotted owl study which

was based on unproven science that is similar to the Klamath River Dam Removal

Project. There were 18 lumber mills and 6000 jobs lost. Because of this we are still

dependant on timber harvest subsides for schools and roads. Taking out the dams

would completely destroy our economy.
· The lack of water storage already exists in the western states and dam removal

increases that condition.
· The loss of water supply for fire fighting protection.
· The loss of flood protection down stream.
· The loss of sustained river flow regulation.
· During drought years the loss of the dams would be detrimental to the fish habitat.
· Dams prevent erosion, the reduction of water temperature, and provide a water

cleaning process.
· The loss of property value of the many homes all the way to the coast that would

be in and out of the changing water line.
· The annual flood damage for years to come.
· The loss of recreation in and along the river.
· The tunnel by pass alternative to the dam removal which will enhance and expand
the salmonids habitat has been ignored by the dept of interior.

In the November 2010 election, 79 percent of the Siskiyou County residents voted no
to dam removal on an advisory measure. The fact is, the people are being forced

by our own government to have the dams removed. The fish are being used as a

tool in the process. If the alternative tunnel by pass was utilized, the fish, the people

of Siskiyou County, the Indians, agriculture, lumber industry, miners, and PacificCorp

can all benefit from the Klamath River with the dams left undisturbed. Therefore,

the dam removal project is wrong for all the above reasons and should be terminated…...

Don Mackintosh
5322 Hoy Road
Weed, ca, 96094
(530)859-1941