One Year Since the Completion of Klamath Dam Removal
It has been one year since the removal of the Lower Four Klamath Dams was completed. Last fall, salmon took immediate advantage of the newly available habitat, and this year they are doing the same - making it even farther up river, through Upper Klamath Lake, and into the tributaries above it.
With the dams and reservoirs gone, the Klamath River has also seen remarkable improvements in water quality, particularly in water temperature and an incredible reduction in microcystin levels.
Explore the articles below to learn more.
News
With California dams gone, salmon reach headwaters after a century
Salmon on the Klamath River have crossed a major threshold a year after four dams were removed along the California-Oregon border, with the fish reaching the river’s headwaters for the first time in more than a century.
Klamath River ecosystem is booming one year after dam removal - OPB
Despite the hopeful strides the river has taken in healing, scientists say federal funding cuts pose a setback to continued scientific monitoring.
After an over 100 year absence, Klamath River salmon are back in Oregon's Williamson River!
The naysayers said it couldn’t be done. For many years, the very vocal opponents of dam removal said that the salmon couldn’t return to the Klamath River and its tributaries to spawn as they had done since time immemorial. Well, the salmon have proven the naysayers wrong.
Salmon sightings in Klamath Drainage District highlight urgent need for fish screens
Last week, Klamath Drainage District (KDD) staff witnessed large dark masses below the surface of the water in the Ady Canal. Upon further inspection, those dark masses surfaced the water exposing their fins. On Friday, Oct. 17, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) confirmed that the fins were those of Chinook salmon.
‘The river feels different’: Successes from Klamath dam removal celebrated – Times-Standard
“Just being out there in the community and talking to tribal fishermen, tribal members, sport fishermen … (and) the community at large, there’s this feeling that the river feels different,”
Salmon clear last Klamath dams, reaching Williamson and Sprague rivers - OPB
Just a year after four dams were removed, a group of fall Chinook have migrated nearly 300 miles into the Upper Klamath Basin.
A year after the last dam was removed, this Western river has 'come alive' with salmon
One year after the final piece of concrete was removed from the last of four dams on the Klamath River in northern California, tribes and environmentalists say the river, the fish and other species that depend on the Klamath's health are recovering and tribes continue to reclaim their lands and waters.
Klamath Tribes comment on salmon recovery as fish continue progress
Leaders of the Klamath Tribes are among those celebrating the unexpectedly rapid return of salmon up the Klamath River, past the Link River and Upper Klamath Lake and into upstream tributaries.
Trump administration revokes $2.1M for Klamath River restoration projects - OPB
The Interior Department says the projects no longer match its goals, but local leaders aren't convinced.
In Case You Missed It...
Bill protecting Shasta and Scott River salmon gets signed
Last Friday, on Native American Day in California, Governor Gavin Newsom signed California AB 263. This bill, introduced by Assembly member Chris Rogers on behalf of the Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe and California Coastkeeper Alliance, extends emergency water regulations for two key Klamath River tributaries, the Scott and Shasta Rivers, until January 1, 2031, or until permanent rules are adopted by the State, to protect struggling salmon populations.