


This will be the largest dam removal project ever in the U.S. that will begin in 2023. Native American tribes have been key leaders in the effort for dam removal and water protection in the Klamath Basin for about twenty years. The dam removal effort and research collaboration is therefore rooted in tribal goals for eco-cultural revitalization (i.e., biocultural restoration). Note that these particular dams provide no significant hydropower, flood protection benefits, or irrigation waters, yet they block fish passage for endangered salmon runs, cause significant water quality problems, and impact multiple tribal communities in the lower Klamath River.
Additional context is available here:
- Save California Salmon media and outreach materials https://www.californiasalmon.org/
- High Country News articles regarding the 2001 Klamath fish kill and subsequent settlement agreements https://www.hcn.org/
- Klamath River Renewal Corporation materials around current removal plans https://klamathrenewal.org/