The Mokelumne River basin drains 661 square miles high in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains. Its dominant tributary, the North Fork Mokelumne, cut through granite to create the Mokelumne River Canyon, encased in the Mokelumne Wilderness. The rugged scenery is defined by deep granitic canyons, volcanic ridges and peaks, and prominences such as the massive 1,200-foot Calaveras Dome – much like its neighbor, Yosemite.
The licensee of the project decided that the project is not economically feasible for relicensing. Through a settlement of which HRC/MHRC was a part, the licensee decided to decommission the project, potentially opening the door for dam removal. For relicensing, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) wanted licensee to install emergency spillways at Brown Bridge dam.
Video of the removal of Milltown Dam on the Clark Fork River, near Missoula Montana. The dam was breached on March 28th, 2008.
Check out this video on the removal of Marmot dam on Oregon’s Sandy River in 2007.