Auburn Dam Water Rights Revoked
Posted December 5, 2008 by MalinaAuburn Dam–the project with more lives than an alley cat–has been dealt a mighty blow: on December 2, the California Water board voted unanimounsly to revoke the water rights it granted over 30 years ago to the US Bureau of Reclamation. This means that the federal governement would have a seriously uphill battle to sucessfully build the dam, a project richer in controversy than the American River used to be in gold. With no rights to store water, a dam would be largely pointless so it looks like the project is doomed. But before you peel that sticker for or against the dam off your bumper, remember that this is one fight that dates back to the Cold War era so I don’t know…..could be resurrected yet. In the meantime–and I confess this might betray a bias here–I’m stoked that we know the Middle Fork of the American river will be echoing with the sounds of rafters, fishermen, and gold miners for summers to come.
To learn more about the Water Board’s decision and see some photographs, read the article in the Sacramento Bee: