Earthrise assists with comments for deadbeat dam on the Niangua River, Missouri

Earthrise continues to work with our client, American Whitewater, on our Deadbeat Dams campaign, most recently in Missouri. On September 30th, Earthrise assisted American Whitewater in filing comments on an Environmental Assessment for an application by the Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative to surrender its FERC license for the Niangua Hydroelectric Project dam on the Niangua River in Missouri, which empties into the Lake of the Ozarks. The problem with the license surrender and FERC’s EA is that Sho-Me wants to leave the dam in place and FERC is poised to let them do it. If allowed to remain, the dam will no longer produce power, but will continue to have negative effects on aquatic species, including some listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, and their habitat, as well as precluding enhanced recreation opportunities and raising safety concerns. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has recommended dam removal to FERC, but we will have to wait to see what FERC’s ultimate decision will be.

Earthrise drafted the comments with Bob Nasdor, American Whitewater’s Northeast Stewardship Director, and we coordinated a sign-on to the comments from Great Rivers Environmental Law Center in Missouri (with Lewis & Clark alum Bob Menees). Current Earthrise clinical student Riley Sanders worked on the comments.