The Klamath-Trinity River system in southern Oregon and northern California was once the site of huge salmon runs — one estimate put them at 650,000 to one million fish.
The Klamath River watershed supports chinook and coho salmon, steelhead trout and other fish species that contribute to Tribal, recreational, subsistence and commercial harvests.
By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
It has been more than a century since salmon swam freely on the Klamath River, but as the largest dam removal and salmon restoration project in the country’s history nears completion, the river and its fish are running unobstructed once again.
“Another wall fell today. The dams that have divided the basin are now gone and the river is free. Our sacred duty to our children, our ancestors, and for ourselves, is to take care of the river, and today’s events represent a fulfillment of that obligation,” said Yurok Tribe Vice Chairman Frankie Myers, vice chairperson of the Yurok Tribe, in a press release from American Rivers.
Salmon populations on the Klamath have experienced steep declines, with spring chinook salmon listed as an endangered species in California. With the dams removed, restoration efforts can begin in earnest, but will take time and collaboration between Tribes, government agencies, stakeholders and the community.
“I am excited to be in the restoration phase of the Klamath River. Restoring hundreds of miles of spawning grounds and improving water quality will help support the return of our salmon, a healthy, sustainable food source for several Tribal Nations. This is truly a great day for the Karuk and all the Native People of the Klamath Basin,” said Karuk Tribe chairperson Russell ‘Buster’ Attebery in the press release.
Over the past year, four dams blocking the unimpeded flow of the Klamath River have been under deconstruction. The removal of the dams will reintroduce salmon to over 400 miles of their historical habitat. Reservoirs that served as the breeding grounds for massive toxic blue green algae blooms each summer will be eliminated, along with conditions that supported fish diseases.
“Local families, especially native families on the Klamath River, fought for generations for this day. Many of us, and our kids, grew up in the movements for fishing rights and dam removal and many local people’s childhood memories include the toxic algae and fish kills. Now our children, grandchildren, and schools are planting seeds and engaging in dam removal and restoration. Youth are learning about the local successful movement for the environment and civil rights and how powerful they can be, and have hope for the future. We are so grateful we are able to celebrate this moment with our families, and that in the near future our youth will be able to enjoy salmon and a clean river instead of having to fight so hard,” said Regina Chichizola, executive director of Save California Salmon, in the press release.
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It is expected that the benefits of dam removal will result in the rebound of the historically third most abundant salmon fishery in the contiguous United States.
The construction portion of the dam removal is projected to be finished before the end of September, but land restoration along the river, as well as in crucial tributaries that had been covered by reservoirs, will take several years.
“Today, the last coffer dams were broken at the former Iron Gate and Copco No. 1 Dam sites, returning the Klamath river to its natural path and marking an end to a significant construction phase in the largest salmon restoration project in U.S. history,” American Rivers said. “The project is a major step toward healing a critical watershed for West Coast salmon production and is widely recognized as a Tribal justice initiative that will help revitalize the culture and economies of several Tribal Nations whose homelands are in the Klamath Basin.”
The potential for dams to be removed along the Klamath River started after the 2002 die-off of approximately 70,000 adult salmon in the lower portion of the river before they had a chance to spawn.
In response to this tragic event, Klamath River Tribal members began a grassroots campaign — Bring the Salmon Home — to remove the lower four dams on the river to restore the health of the watershed.
The campaign called upon PacifiCorp — the company that had owned the dams — to surrender them so that they could be removed.
Years of protests, direct action and lawsuits followed, with a settlement being reached between the corporation, Tribal governments, the States of Oregon and California, conservation groups, local governments and recreational and commercial fishing organizations in 2016 for removal of the dams.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave final approval for dam removal and restoration following additional negotiations. In November of 2022, FERC approved a license surrender order, which allowed the transfer of the project to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation.
Copco No. 2, the smallest of the dams, was removed last year. The three other dams’ reservoirs were drained in January of 2024, timed to minimize interference with fish runs.
At each dam site, the Klamath has resumed its historic path, and now allows fish passage from the river’s mouth in California to its origin below Lake Ewauna, near Oregon’s Upper Klamath Lake. Removal also opened the river up to tributaries spanning hundreds of miles for the migration of salmon, steelhead and other river species.
“The Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations of the Klamath River have fought long and hard for the Klamath River to flow freely and begin recovering from colonization. Today’s final breach of the last dam on the river marks the beginning of a new era on the Klamath River during which Indigenous cultures can thrive alongside the many species and communities that are dependent upon the resilience of the Klamath River. We would not have reached this movement without the remarkable commitments of the Klamath Basin Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations and their many partners. We celebrate as a united Klamath Basin,” said Amy Bowers Cordalis, executive director of the Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group, in the press release.
