Questions have been raised regarding the state and federal permits required to destroy and remove the Pomeroy Dam located on the Illinois River in Cave Junction.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service provided a $1.2 million federal taxpayer-funded grant to WaterWatch of Oregon to manage the removal of the Pomeroy Dam. The dam was built in the 1940s to provide irrigation water to privately owned Q Bar X Ranch. The funding will cover the cost of dam removal, road culverts and adding solar-powered irrigation pumps for the ranch.
The removal of the dam began in mid-August and is expected to be completed by the end of the summer. On Friday Aug. 16, the dam destruction effort was interrupted when local resident John Harding conducted a one-person “sit down” protest on the dam. He protested to stop the destruction of the remaining portions of the dam.
Harding recommended that the Eagle contact Dave White to understand the details of the permit process. White previously filed a class action lawsuit over the removal of the Klamath River dams.
White told the Eagle, that WaterWatch had not produced the necessary permits when requested by Pomeroy Estate homeowners. These permits include the “Section 404” and “Section 408” permits issued by the Army Corp of Engineers under the Clean Water Act.
The Eagle spoke with Jim McCarthy who is the southern Oregon director for WaterWatch of Oregon. He was asked if WaterWatch had the necessary permits to remove the dam. He replied “Yes,” but would not supply the Eagle with permits. Instead, he said they could be found online at the Army Corp of Engineers website. “I’m not going to do your work for you,” he told the Eagle.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests have been made to the Army Corp of Engineers and to the Oregon Department of State Lands to obtain copies of the Pomeroy Dam removal permits. The permit copies had not been received at press time.
State Senate nominee Dr. Noah Robinson raised awareness of the impending dam removal in a flyer, saying, “The dam itself is very beautifully designed. Not only is it quite functional and well built, but it is designed in such a way as to provide a gorgeous recreational spot that is unparalleled.”
Dave White is organizing a class action lawsuit in response to the removal of the Pomeroy Dam without “proper permits.” He can be contacted at 503-608-7611 or by email at dave@salmonprotectiondevice.com.
The Eagle will update this developing story at OregonEagle.com.
Note: This story originally appeared in the August-September 2024 Oregon Eagle.
Richard Emmons is the publisher and editor of the Oregon Eagle.