The Klamath River flows 253 miles
from Southern Oregon to the California coast, draining a basin of
more than 15,000 square miles. The watershed and its fisheries
have been the subject of negotiation since the 1860s negotiations
that have intensified and continue to this day.
The river has provided irrigation to ag lands since the late 19th
century. Agricultural development drained vast areas of
wetlands on the periphery of Upper Klamath Lake and in
upstream watersheds. Some of this drained acreage has been
restored and is now managed primarily for wetland benefits.
The watershed is divided geographically into two basins, upper
and lower, divided by Iron Gate Dam, the lower most dam on the
river. The Upper Basin is dry, with annual precipitation of about
13 inches at the river’s origin near Klamath Falls, Ore.
Downstream, the climate grows wetter.
Native Americans have a significant presence in the Klamath
Basin. Four major tribes have been influential in water
negotiations: the Klamath Tribes, the Karuk Tribe, the Hoopa
Valley Tribe and the Yurok Tribe.
One year after the final piece of concrete was removed from the
last of four dams on the Klamath River in northern California,
tribes and environmentalists say the river, the fish and other
species that depend on the Klamath’s health are recovering and
tribes continue to reclaim their lands and waters. Barry
McCovey, Yurok Tribe’s fisheries director, said during a news
conference Oct. 9 that the river is much clearer than it used
to be.
Nimbus Fish Hatchery releases around 4 to 4.5 million young
salmon and 430,000 yearling steelhead into California waterways
annually. But due to rising costs and limited federal funding,
the hatchery is planning to release half of both numbers, which
is unprecedented. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation funds the
hatchery, which was originally created to mitigate the impacts
of Nimbus Dam [on the American River in the Sacramento region]
on steelhead and salmon runs. Fish raised in hatcheries
like this one are key to keeping their populations alive in
California.
California salmon are as central to our historic identity as
the symbol on our state flag, the California grizzly. It is a
sad and ironic tragedy that the grizzly has been extinct for
generations. What does it say about us if salmon may soon
follow? … Losing salmon would be an ecological disaster
for our freshwater ecosystems, forests, riverbanks and other
native species if their links to the salmon were severed.
Healthy salmon runs mean jobs for Californians, but the
industry generating $1 billion is at risk, and is a historic
piece of California’s culture. –Written by Sacramento Bee columnist Tom Philp.
Representatives of the Yurok Tribe announced Tuesday that
restoration efforts on Jenny Creek, a tributary of the Klamath
River, have been completed, marking a significant milestone for
the local ecosystem. … According to Yurok Tribal
leaders, for over 60 years, the creek was inaccessible to
salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey due to its location
behind the former Iron Gate Dam, as well as its own concrete
dam. Shortly after the smaller dam removal was conducted
by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, more than
300 Chinook salmon entered Jenny Creek for the first time in
decades, Tribal leaders said.
… [A] bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom that
would keep emergency flow regulations in place for two Klamath
tributaries. Supporters hailed the new law as essential for
protecting salmon habitat and tribal rights. The Scott and
Shasta rivers, major Klamath tributaries, have been under
emergency drought regulations for years. Siskiyou County
farmers, who pushed against the bill through lobbying
associations, were required to limit water take to keep minimum
flows in place after fish populations plummeted during a
drought from 2020 to 2023.
Video captured a Chinook salmon successfully summiting the fish
ladder at an upper Klamath River dam this week, according to
the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife — the first known
instance since the removal of four lower dams last year.
The video comes from Keno Dam, located just southwest of
Klamath Falls. Salmon were previously spotted on the Keno Dam
fish ladders last year, but this is the first time one’s been
spotted passing the dam. The camera was installed just the day
before.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has cited
five individuals in Siskiyou County for illegally using suction
dredge equipment in state waterways, a practice banned due to
its harmful impacts on native fish and wildlife. On August 20,
2024, wardens discovered a man actively dredging the Salmon
River near Cecilville in search of gold. … Although the case
was initially dismissed due to a clerical error, prosecutors
have since refiled charges, with arraignment set for October 7,
2025, in Siskiyou County. Since July, four others have been
cited for unlawful dredging on the Klamath River and Elk Creek.
I recently spoke with seventeen-year-old Keeya Wiki about the
first descent of the Klamath River, a 263-mile
river in Oregon and California. Keeya, who is Yurok and Māori,
was one of thirty youth who kayaked the river for the first
time in one hundred years. She reminded me of what it feels
like when you protect something sacred. In 2024, four dams came
down on the Klamath River, the largest dam removal in U.S.
history, and the river was free. The youth trained for the
descent on white waters throughout the region, and even in
Chile, to make sure they were safe. Then this summer they
joined the river and traveled for a month of freedom, joy, and
renewal.
Spencer Creek will close to fishing Sept. 30, a month earlier
than usual, to protect fall Chinook salmon that have returned
for the first time in more than a century after dam
removal, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife. The tributary of the Klamath River will be closed
starting Oct. 1 to protect spawning fall Chinook salmon. … In
October 2024, fall Chinook were documented in Spencer Creek for
the first time since 1912 after four Lower Klamath River dams
were removed, ODFW said.
A bill aimed at preserving flows for fish on two Klamath
tributaries passed through both chambers of the state
legislature last week and awaits signature by Governor Gavin
Newsom. Assembly Bill 263, authored by North Coast
Assemblymember Chris Rogers (D-Santa Rosa), would maintain
existing minimum flows for the Shasta and Scott rivers. The
flow regulations were established as part of an emergency
drought declaration four years ago. If enacted, the regulations
would be kept until 2031 or whenever the State Water Board sets
permanent rules that are currently in the works.
Other California water and environmental policy news:
The Klamath Tribes are opposing a new federal water plan they
say risks killing off endangered fish. The Bureau of
Reclamation’s proposal would send up to 38,000 additional
acre-feet of water — roughly 12.4 billion gallons — to Klamath
Project irrigators in southern Oregon and northern California.
… But the Klamath Tribes said in an email that the
additional 38,000 acre-feet would not come from the designated
excess water supply. The Tribes said the allocation would lower
lake levels.
On Monday, AB 263 passed the state Legislature. The bill
protects salmon populations in two key tributaries of the
Klamath River watershed by keeping minimum flow requirements in
place until the State Water Board can establish new long-term
flow regulations. The bill is now headed to Governor’s desk for
his signature. … The bill would maintain river flows for
at-risk salmon runs on two critical Klamath River tributaries –
the Scott and Shasta Rivers.
… Even as Native peoples and their allies celebrated at the
mouth of the Klamath, more work lies ahead to restore the rest
of the basin. Wetlands need restoration to impound phosphorus
that pours from extinct volcanoes and prevent the growth of
deadly algae. … Two other dams, Link River and Keno,
still bar salmon from reaching their farthest nurseries. …
The damage from removing wetlands from Upper Klamath Lake and
some of its tributaries, providing an all-you-can-eat buffet of
phosphorus for toxic algae that suffocates the fish, continues
to reverberate.
On this first-ever Foundation water tourwe examined water issues along the 263-mile Klamath River, from its spring-fed headwaters in south-central Oregon to its redwood-lined estuary on the Pacific Ocean in California.
Running Y Resort
5500 Running Y Rd
Klamath Falls, OR 97601
The dam removal projects- aimed at sustaining the salmon
population, are underway, with the latest drawdown being three
reservoirs on the Klamath River. The removal process has
already dramatically changed the landscape in Southern Oregon
and far Northern California, along the course of the river. The
lowest of the three remaining dams- Iron Gate, was initially
breached on January 9, followed by the J.C. Boyle reservoir on
January 16. A concrete plug in the tunnel at the base of Copco
1 was blasted away on January 23, with the reservoirs draining
quickly, leaving vast expanses of fissured mud that was the
consistency and color of chocolate cake batter. Shaping its new
course, the Klamath River is winding through the bare
landscape, but the transformation has had some unintended
consequences and saddened some residents.
…Tuesday, the State Water Resources Control Board took
action to protect the salmon,
unanimously extending the region’s
expired emergency drought measures. Ground and surface
water for farms will be restricted for another year if flows in
the Shasta and Scott rivers dip below minimum thresholds. State
officials say these measures are likely to kick in next
year. Water board chair Joaquin Esquivel said action
is needed because “a fish emergency” remains on the rivers.
“Time isn’t our friend,” he said at a previous meeting in
August. “There is an urgency.” The water board also
is investigating the possibility of permanent requirements to
keep more water in the rivers, after the Karuk Tribe and the
fishing industry petitioned the state for stronger protections.
That decision, however, could take years.
The Klamath River Basin was once one
of the world’s most ecologically magnificent regions, a watershed
teeming with salmon, migratory birds and wildlife that thrived
alongside Native American communities. The river flowed rapidly
from its headwaters in southern Oregon’s high deserts into Upper
Klamath Lake, collected snowmelt along a narrow gorge through the
Cascades, then raced downhill to the California coast in a misty,
redwood-lined finish.
California is chock full of rivers and creeks, yet the state’s network of stream gauges has significant gaps that limit real-time tracking of how much water is flowing downstream, information that is vital for flood protection, forecasting water supplies and knowing what the future might bring.
That network of stream gauges got a big boost Sept. 30 with the signing of SB 19. Authored by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), the law requires the state to develop a stream gauge deployment plan, focusing on reactivating existing gauges that have been offline for lack of funding and other reasons. Nearly half of California’s stream gauges are dormant.
In 1983, a landmark California Supreme Court ruling extended the public trust doctrine to tributary creeks that feed Mono Lake, which is a navigable water body even though the creeks themselves were not. The ruling marked a dramatic shift in water law and forced Los Angeles to cut back its take of water from those creeks in the Eastern Sierra to preserve the lake.
Now, a state appellate court has for the first time extended that same public trust doctrine to groundwater that feeds a navigable river, in this case the Scott River flowing through a picturesque valley of farms and alfalfa in Siskiyou County in the northern reaches of California.
Headwaters are the source of a
stream or river. They are located at the furthest point from
where the water body empties or merges with
another. Two-thirds of California’s surface water supply
originates in these mountainous and typically forested regions.
Mired in drought, expectations are high that new storage funded
by Prop. 1 will be constructed to help California weather the
adverse conditions and keep water flowing to homes and farms.
At the same time, there are some dams in the state eyed for
removal because they are obsolete – choked by accumulated
sediment, seismically vulnerable and out of compliance with
federal regulations that require environmental balance.
20-minute version of the 2012 documentary The Klamath Basin: A
Restoration for the Ages. This DVD is ideal for showing at
community forums and speaking engagements to help the public
understand the complex issues related to complex water management
disputes in the Klamath River Basin. Narrated by actress Frances
Fisher.
For over a century, the Klamath River Basin along the Oregon and
California border has faced complex water management disputes. As
relayed in this 2012, 60-minute public television documentary
narrated by actress Frances Fisher, the water interests range
from the Tribes near the river, to energy producer PacifiCorp,
farmers, municipalities, commercial fishermen, environmentalists
– all bearing legitimate arguments for how to manage the water.
After years of fighting, a groundbreaking compromise may soon
settle the battles with two epic agreements that hold the promise
of peace and fish for the watershed. View an excerpt from the
documentary here.
This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership
with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an
excellent overview of climate change and how it is already
affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists
anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and
precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are
underway to plan and adapt to climate.
This beautiful 24×36-inch poster, suitable for framing, displays
the rivers, lakes and reservoirs, irrigated farmland, urban areas
and Indian reservations within the Klamath River Watershed. The
map text explains the many issues facing this vast,
15,000-square-mile watershed, including fish restoration;
agricultural water use; and wetlands. Also included are
descriptions of the separate, but linked, Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement and the Klamath Hydroelectric Agreement,
and the next steps associated with those agreements. Development
of the map was funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
The Water Education Foundation’s second edition of
the Layperson’s Guide to The Klamath River Basin is
hot off the press and available for purchase.
Updated and redesigned, the easy-to-read overview covers the
history of the region’s tribal, agricultural and environmental
relationships with one of the West’s largest rivers — and a
vast watershed that hosts one of the nation’s oldest and
largest reclamation projects.
A new look for our most popular product! And it’s the perfect
gift for the water wonk in your life.
Our 24×36-inch California Water Map is widely known for being the
definitive poster that shows the integral role water plays in the
state. On this updated version, it is easier to see California’s
natural waterways and man-made reservoirs and aqueducts
– including federally, state and locally funded
projects – the wild and scenic rivers system, and
natural lakes. The map features beautiful photos of
California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects,
wildlife, and urban and agricultural uses and the
text focuses on key issues: water supply, water use, water
projects, the Delta, wild and scenic rivers and the Colorado
River.
The Pacific Flyway is one of four
major North American migration routes for birds, especially
waterbirds, and stretches from Alaska in the north
to Patagonia in South America.
Each year, birds follow ancestral patterns as they travel the
flyway on their annual north-south migration. Along the way, they
need stopover sites such as wetlands with suitable habitat and
food supplies. In California, 95 percent of historic
wetlands have been lost, yet the Central Valley hosts some of the
world’s largest populations of wintering birds.
The Klamath River Basin is one of the West’s most important and
contentious watersheds.
The watershed is known for its unusual geography straddling
California and Oregon. Unlike many western rivers, the
Klamath does not originate in snowcapped mountains but rather on
a volcanic plateau.
A broad patchwork of spring-fed streams and rivers in
south-central Oregon drains into Upper Klamath Lake and down into
Lake Ewauna in the city of Klamath Falls. The outflow from Ewauna
marks the beginning of the 263-mile Klamath River.
On the Klamath River, the Upper Klamath Basin’s aquatic
ecosystems are naturally very productive due to its
phosphorus-rich geology.
However, this high productivity makes the Basin’s lakes
vulnerable to water quality problems.
Nutrient loads in the Upper Klamath Basin are a primary driver of
water quality problems along the length of the Klamath River,
including algal blooms in the Klamath Hydroelectric Project
reservoirs. Municipal and industrial discharges of wastewater in
the Klamath Falls area add to the nutrient load.
The Klamath Basin’s Chinook salmon and coho salmon serve a vital
role in the watershed.
Together, they are key to the region’s water management, habitat
restoration and fishing.
However, years of declining population have led to federally
mandated salmon restoration plans—plans that complicate the
diversion of Klamath water for agriculture and other uses.
This issue of Western Water examines the challenges facing state,
federal and tribal officials and other stakeholders as they work
to manage terminal lakes. It includes background information on
the formation of these lakes, and overviews of the water quality,
habitat and political issues surrounding these distinctive bodies
of water. Much of the information in this article originated at
the September 2004 StateManagement Issues at Terminal Water
Bodies/Closed Basins conference.
The story of the Klamath River is the story of two basins.
In the upper basin, farming has long been the way of life. Even
before passage of the 1902 Reclamation Act, settlers had begun
the arduous process of reclaiming vast tracts of wetlands and
transforming them into rich farmland.
