Oregon Public Broadcasting

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has until March of next year to decide to approve or reject the removal of four dams on Oregon’s Klamath River. But in a speech Monday, he described the plan as a pragmatic move that will create jobs. Salazar spoke to the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. He told the group President Barack Obama stands behind the dam removal agreement.

Salazar previewed environmental and economic reports on the Klamath that he will release later this week. According to the upcoming report, the deal could create 4,500 jobs. Most of those would be related to taking down the dams and habitat restoration work. Salazar said stronger salmon runs on the Klamath could add 400 fisheries jobs on the Oregon and California coast. On the cost side, he said removing the dams would eliminate 50 jobs in hydropower and hurt some property values.

The dam removal plan must be approved by both the Secretary of Interior and by congress before March of next year.