Last Monday, we published an Op-Ed by Dennis Lynch, an official with the U.S. Geological Survey and lead scientist on the Klamath Basin settlements. He took issue with several statements Paul Houser, the scientist who briefly worked for the Bureau of Reclamation and claims he was fired in retaliation for not being on the dam-removal team.

Well, Houser offers his own response on his website. It’s hard to excerpt, so I’d suggest you read the whole thing, but here’s Houser’s conclusion:

“The outcomes of dam removal on this scale and in this unique environment have significant risks and uncertainties. A positive outcome is not guaranteed and a tragic outcome is possible. All I am trying to accomplish is to make sure that decision makers are aware of these risks and uncertainties, and account for them in their decision-making process. By only reporting the positive aspects of dam removal without the uncertainties and additional needed mitigation, the meaning of the science is perturbed, which may lead to poor decisions.”