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49 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, April 20, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 8, 2004 Savage Rapids Dam removal deadline adds urgency Plans to design and study a pumping system to replace Savage Rapids Dam come as the Grants Pass Irrigation District faces a looming deadline that would retire the aged dam. A consent decree the district signed under a federal judge’s watchful eye in 2001 dictates that the dam will no longer be used to help deliver irrigation water after 2006. That means pumps must be installed and working by spring of 2007, or the district’s 9,000 irrigators will be left high and dry. This so-called "drop-dead date" for the dam’s fate could be one of GPID’s best allies in trying to secure an estimated $16 million from Congress to fund the pump installation — even amid budget cuts, the situation in Iraq and the battle for priority among other federal projects, backers say. "That’s what’s driving this," says Bob Hunter, staff attorney for WaterWatch of Oregon and one of the parties to the consent decree. "Having that deadline is what makes funding this project such a priority. "But, obviously, there’s no guarantee in politics." Advertisement The pump installation has the bipartisan backing of the entire Oregon congressional delegation as well as several state and federal agencies. Backers say they hope to get some construction money into the 2005 federal budget so pump installation can begin next year. "I’m confident we can get this thing going and done in ’05 and ’06," GPID manager Dan Shepard said. The consent decree actually expires in 2005, but the district can get a one-year extension. Shepard says he expects to get that extension, and the upcoming supplemental environmental study detailing the pumping plans should help make that a reality. "You need something in your hand," Shepard says. "You can’t go back with a wish and a prayer. That won’t cut the mustard." The consent decree contains no provisions for extensions beyond 2006, and Hunter says he will not support any notion of negotiating a separate extension. "I don’t want to go there and there’s no reason to go there," Hunter says. The consent decree dissolved state and federal lawsuits against GPID over harm the dam has caused threatened coho salmon. The agreement is filed in U.S. District Court in Eugene. The installation of pumps is separate from the actual dam removal, and last year Congress gave the government the right to remove the dam. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times