News release: Klamath dam removal workshop at SOU fosters collaboration
Southern Oregon University recently hosted the Klamath Dam Removal Research Collaboration Workshop, a follow-up seminar for the numerous groups and agencies working together on the world’s largest-ever dam removal and river restoration project. The November workshop brought together nearly 150 researchers, Tribal leaders and agency representatives to share information about ecological and social changes in the Klamath River basin that have resulted from the removal of its four dams. Removal of the Iron Gate (45 minutes southeast of Ashland), J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1 and Copco No. 2 dams was completed ahead of schedule on Aug. 28, but work will continue for several years to restore about 2,200 acres of land that had been submerged for decades. The dams were built between 1918 and 1962 to provide electricity, but had severe effects on salmon populations and Tribal communities. The river now flows freely from Lake Ewauna near Klamath Falls to the Pacific Ocean.