The Lower Klamath Project consists of four hydroelectric developments on the Klamath River located in the Western United States. The restoration of the Klamath watershed, spanning over 15,000 square miles of California and Oregon, is the largest dam removal project in history opening more than 400 miles of habitat. In September of 2016, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (Renewal Corporation) filed an Application for Surrender of License for Major Project and Removal of Project Works (License Surrender) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Renewal Corporation filed the License Surrender Application as the dam removal entity for the purpose of implementation of the Amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (AKHSA). In November 2020, the Renewal Corporation filed its Definite Decommissioning Plan (DDP) which is the comprehensive plan to physically remove the Lower Klamath Project and achieve a free-flowing condition and volitional fish passage, site remediation and restoration, and avoidance of downstream impacts. Renewal Corporation received the Licensure Surrender Order in November 2022 approving facility removal and habitat restoration. The Proposed Action consists of the deconstruction of J.C. Boyle Dam/Powerhouse located in Oregon, and Copco No. 1 Dam/Powerhouse, Copco No. 2 Dam/Powerhouse, and Iron Gate Dam/Powerhouse all located in northern California. This paper discusses the planning effort and strategy developed and implemented to execute the project, including the organization structure of the Renewal Corporation designed to efficiently execute a multi-discipline engineering and construction project, challenges, and strategy to work through a vast regulatory process, and execution of a progressive design build contract to meet set project budgets and schedule.
