CalTrout On Final Dam Removal On Now Free-Flowing Klamath River
Despite plenty of historic pushback and some controversial moments during the process, the Klamath River is just about flowing free again as the project nears its conclusion. Here are some details via the Associated Press:
Crews will use excavators this week to breach rock dams that have been diverting water upstream of two dams that were already almost completely removed, Iron Gate and Copco No. 1. The work will allow the river to flow freely in its historic channel, giving salmon a passageway to key swaths of habitat just in time for the fall Chinook, or king salmon, spawning season.
“Seeing the river being restored to its original channel and that dam gone, it’s a good omen for our future,” said Leaf Hillman, ceremonial leader of the Karuk Tribe, which has spent at least 25 years fighting for the removal of the Klamath dams. Salmon are culturally and spiritually significant to the tribe, along with others in the region.
California Trout, which has worked tirelessly to get this project and a similar one on the Eel River pushed through, also weighed in on the pending big news:
Dam removal unlocks access to hundreds of miles of historic habitat for native salmon and steelhead, improves water quality for humans and non-humans alike, and marks a step towards restoring a place critical to the cultural life-ways of Indigenous peoples who have lived along the river since time immemorial.
“I’m proud that CalTrout has been at the table pushing for this crucial and pivotal river restoration project to transpire, and it is so satisfying to share the experience with partners from fellow conservation organizations, government agencies, and most especially our Indigenous and tribal partners,” said Curtis Knight, Executive Director of California Trout. “Dam removal on the Klamath River is special not just because of its magnitude and impact, but because of all the people that came together to make this happen. We started this journey 24 years ago sitting at a negotiation table. Together this amazing community of committed people are pulling off the largest dam removal and restoration project in U.S. history.” …
As fish begin to return to waters that have been inaccessible for over a century, we will be ready to monitor fish migration and assess the efficacy of this monumental restoration effort. In July 2024, CalTrout and our partners launched the Klamath River Monitoring Program to build our understand of dam removal including how fish repopulate newly opened habitat and how they recover from landscape level restoration. The project team consists of a diverse group of interests including tribes, governmental entities, and non-profits.
