A Klamath deal - maybe.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Last week's tentative agreement to remove four Klamath River dams was a welcome breakthrough on an issue that in recent years has divided local, state and federal officials, farmers, fishermen, Native Americans, environmentalists - and a disputatious host of others.

But much work remains if the fish-killing dams are ever to be removed from the ailing river. Critical questions also remain about who will pay for the dams' removal and whether the breachings, if the deal is finalized and they occur as scheduled a decade from now, can save the Klamath's imperiled salmon runs.

Nonetheless, it is encouraging to see former adversaries come together to resolve differences over how to restore the Klamath and its fish.

The removal of the dams and the restoration efforts would constitute the most ambitious effort to date to reverse damage done by human intervention on a river. If the dams come down, more than 300 miles of the Klamath in Southern Oregon and northwestern California would be open to fish for the first time in more than 90 years.

The agreement hinges on a controversial plan to allocate the waters of a dam-free river between fish and farmers. The two are historic adversaries in the basin, and the agreement sets out how water will be allocated in wet and dry years. While the needs of fish generally have priority, some environmental groups question whether the deal provides fish with the water they need to survive and ultimately thrive in what was once one of the most productive salmon rivers in the West.

The next two months could decide the deal's fate, as local governments, Oregon and California governments, tribes, fishing organizations and environmental groups review the document and decide whether to support it. The agreement will also require congressional approval, along with at least $500 million in funding.

Under the deal, dam owner PacifiCorp has agreed to transfer the dams to the federal government for removal beginning in 2020. By 2012, the secretary of the Interior must determine that removing the four Klamath dams is in the best interest of the public, fish and wildlife, or the deal cannot proceed.

Part of the funding for the estimated $1 billion agreement already is in jeopardy. While the Oregon Legislature approved a bill during the last session authorizing PacifiCorp to raise $200 million for dam removal by levying a surcharge on its customers, the California Legislature balked at approving $250 million in state bonds.

Uncertainties abound. Yet there is reason for hope that a balanced agreement can be finalized. Just a few years ago it seemed unimaginable that the basin's bitter adversaries could come peaceably to the bargaining table, much less forge an agreement like the one announced last week. Yet 29 disparate organizations - including PacifiCorp, irrigators, four tribes, 11 environmental groups, the states of Oregon and California and the federal government - not only came to the table, but remained there until they had a draft agreement.

It's too early to celebrate a final deal. But it's not too early to recognize the hard work and tenacity of all involved - and to hope those qualities can restore the Klamath's salmon runs and keep the peace in a long-troubled basin.