Huge California dam removal project on Klamath River ahead of schedule
The nation’s largest dam-removal project is moving along faster than planned, with the demolition work on the Klamath River, near the California-Oregon border, due to wrap up as soon as next month – and salmon expected to make their long-awaited return soon after. Following months of blasting and drilling, three large hydroelectric dams slated for dismantling this year are close to being cleared out of the river channel while a smaller fourth dam was taken out last fall. Officials at the Klamath River Renewal Corp., which is managing the $500 million deconstruction effort about a six-hour drive from San Francisco, credit a combination of good weather and speedy crews for putting the bulk of the work on track to finish about a month and a half before their Oct. 15 deadline.