Century-Old Dams Removed, Salmon Return To Klamath

Soon after 4 California Dams in Klamath were taken down, the Klamath river is already seeing salmon for the first time in over a century.Photo bywww.watereducation.org website

There have been several projects going on in California but one by tribal communities, goverment agencies and scientists has people very excited. That project was the elimination of 4 hydroelectric dams near the Oregon/California border to return the land to its natural state. The elimination of the dams seems to already be paying off.

The first salmon in more than 100 years have been seen swimming freely through Klamath river tributaries. Chinook salmon were migrating into the waters that were previously blocked by dams. The former Iron Gate Dam was blocking the water from entering tributaries of the Klamath River, and with it gone, the first salmon spotted has many excited.

The Klamath River used to be the #3 producer of salmon before 1918 when the hydroelectric dams started to be used. It eventually destroyed the salmon and steelhead runs and it has never been the same.

The non-profit group California Trout has been one of those entities that has helped with the project. California Trout's Klamath Regional director Damon Goodman, said, “I am incredibly humbled to witness this moment and share this news, standing on the shoulders of decades of work by our tribal partners, as the salmon return home.”

They are not naive and feel that it will take a very long time to get back to where it was, but most are hopeful that the area will recover. Local tribal groups, state and federal departements, and non-profits will keep track of the chinook and coho salmon as well as steelhead in the area.