Klamath River dam removals: “So yes, it’s happening.”

May 2023
Written By Ron Stork

Map of the four dams to be removed on the Klamath River. Courtesy of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation.

For decades, the Klamath has been severely impacted by a sequence of four PacifiCorp dams near the California-Oregon border. And finally, after decades of work by tribes and environmental organizations to lay the foundation to restore the Klamath River, it’s pretty clear that the removals and restoration are finally going to happen.

This year and the next, the dam removal work will begin and will take a few years to complete. Upon completion, salmon will be able to access an additional 400+ miles of historic habitat.

But at the same time, preparations to restore the landscapes long turned into reservoir or reservoir bathtub rings are underway. It’s all about gathering, planting, and nurturing the native plants adapted to the landscape. If you have 15 minutes, you can see a video on the preparations and the people who are undertaking the effort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q248MhRH49w

Pretty inspiring. And hopefully, there will be many videos to come.

Ron Stork

Ron has worked for decades in flood management, federal water resources development, hydropower reform, and Wild & Scenic Rivers. He joined Friends of the River as Associate Conservation Director in 1987, and is now a senior member of FOR’s policy staff.

Ron was presented the prestigious River Conservationist of the Year award by Perception in 1996 for his work to stop the Auburn dam. In 2004, he received the California Urban Water Conservation Council’s Excellence Award for statewide and institutional innovations in water conservation. In 2024, he received the Frank Church Wild and Scenic Rivers award from the River Management Society for outstanding accomplishments in designation and management of wild and scenic rivers in California and nationally.

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