Klamath Dam removal project on track to open 420 miles of salmon habitat this Fall
For the first time since 1918, an astonishing 420 miles of salmon habitat in the Klamath River watershed in California and Oregon will be fully connected by September. This results from the world’s largest dam removal effort, the Klamath River Renewal Project. The amount of habitat opened up on the Klamath is equivalent to the distance between Portland, Maine, and Philadelphia–a journey through seven states. PacifiCorp, the previous owner, agreed to remove the aging dams after they determined removal would be less expensive than upgrading to current environmental standards. The dams had been used for power generation, not water storage. The Copco No. 2 Dam on the Klamath was removed last year. The deconstruction of the Iron Gate, Copco No. 1, and JC Boyle dams is underway and running ahead of schedule.
Related podcast:
- Resources Radio: Four dam removals on the Klamath River, with Amy Bowers Cordalis
- Eureka Times-Standard: Forest Service collecting comments on projects including Eel River fish passage