The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation are close to removing a dam near Pendleton that is doing little except blocking fish. Still, it’s taken 40 years for the tribes and the dam’s owners to get this close to demolition. Mike Lambert, the fish habitat and passage program supervisor for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, said the tribes have listed the removal of the Peterson Dam on Birch Creek as a priority project since 1984. … Larger dam removals might draw more public attention, but Lambert said clearing antiquated dams from smaller rivers and streams can also have a big impact on fish populations.  … PacifiCorp is in the midst of removing several dams from the Klamath River near the Oregon-California border, after decades of conflict between multiple tribes and non-tribal residents over how dam removal would affect irrigation and local property values.