With California’s Klamath Dam removal project finally completed, new before and after photos show the dramatic differences along the river with and without the dams. The photos were taken by Swiftwater Films, a documentary company chronicling the dam removal project – a two-decade fight that concluded on 2 October. “The tribally led effort to dismantle the dams is an expression of our sacred duty to maintain balance in the world,” the Yurok tribal chairman, Joseph L James, said in a statement. “That is why we fought so hard for so long to tear down the dams and bring the salmon home.” Between 1903 and 1962, the electric power company PacifiCorp built a series of dams along the Klamath River to generate electricity. The dams disrupted the river’s natural flow, and the migratory routes of its fish – including, most famously, the Chinook salmon.

Related articles:

• Environment America: Ten things to know about the Klamath dam removal
• Weather News Point: Salmon return to Klamath River after historic dam removals, marking a new era for ecosystem restoration
• Newser: Finally, Salmon Have the Run of the River