The massive dam-removal project on the Klamath River, near the California-Oregon border, has faced all sorts of challenges. The newest one may be the most unexpected: wild horses. In recent months, more than 100 free-roaming horses have descended on the dam sites, eating and crushing the new grasses and shrubs being planted in areas where the dams once held reservoirs. The plants are intended to help revegetate the formerly submerged lands and prevent soil from slipping into the newly flowing river. While the horses possess a distinct rugged beauty and are cherished by some, managers of the dam removal say the equines could undermine the vast replanting effort that’s vital to the project.

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