The largest dam removal and river restoration in U.S. history is taking place on the Klamath River, along the Oregon-California border. It marks the culmination of two decades of activism from local Native American tribes and conservationists, and it promises to have major impacts on communities in the region. Jefferson Public Radio is documenting this historic project.
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Juliet Grable/JPRRafting the Upper Klamath River is possible through the summer thanks to releases of water from the J.C. Boyle Dam, which will be removed next year. When guides return to the Upper Klamath in 2025, this stretch of the river will be forever changed. -
Juliet Grable/JPRRemoving the Copco 2 dam takes deconstruction crews one step closer to drawdowns of the remaining three reservoirs next January.
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The impending removal of four hydroelectric dams on the main stem of the Klamath River has thrown the normally tranquil community of Copco Lake into turmoil. -
The event is a spiritual run and prayer for the health of the Klamath watershed.
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For over a century, four hydroelectric dams along the Oregon-California border have cut off habitat to fish swimming up the Klamath River from the ocean. Now, researchers are in the midst of a project to learn how fish will use this ecosystem once the dams are removed.
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Restoration contractor Resource Environmental Solutions and area tribes will plant up to 19 billion native seeds as the Klamath Dams come out and reservoirs are drained.
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Though tributaries like Horse Creek are far out of the spotlight, they are an integral part of the whole Klamath River ecosystem. Without these, it’s unlikely that dam removal alone will help coho and Chinook fully recover.
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The order is the last major regulatory step before four dams can be decommissioned. It marks the start of the largest dam removal project in U.S. history.
