Our friends in some communities along the Klamath River and in the Basin have suffered from unimaginable wildfire devastation. If you are interested in supporting relief efforts for those impacted by the fires, below is information on two initiatives.

Happy Camp Relief Fund: Happy Camp was evacuated last week due to the Slater Fire and has suffered significant fire damage and property loss. The Community Foundation of the North State established a Happy Camp Relief Fund to provide financial support to those impacted. Donations can be made via the Community Foundation’s website: https://cfnorthstate.org/donations/happy-camp-relief-fund/

Two Four Two Fire Evacuation Support: Many Chiloquin-area residents have been evacuated due to the Two Four Two Fire. The Herald and News compiled the below list of ways you can help. ... See more

With hundreds of people evacuating the Chiloquin area because of the Two Four Two Fire, local organizations are seeking donations to help those who have had to flee their homes.

Want to learn more about what’s happening with the lower Klamath Dam removal project? See KRRC’s latest newsletter for regulatory updates, project information, and other exciting news!

The newest edition of the KRRC newsletter is out now! Click for the latest project updates.

Factual Friday: As salmon grow in the ocean environment, they accumulate marine nutrients, storing them in their bodies. They then transport those nutrients back to their stream of origin when it is their time to spawn, die and decay. Salmon release their eggs and milt back into the freshwater to re-seed the cycle. Eggs that don't get buried in the gravel become immediately available as food for other fish, birds, and insects. After spawning the salmon die, and as they decay valuable nutrients are released. These nutrients fertilize the water that feeds the developing salmon, filter-feeding insects, and aquatic and terrestrial plant life. This process of salmon accumulating marine nutrients and returning them to freshwater streams has been referred to as "the great nutrient cycle.”

Click here for more info: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Togiak/wildlife_and_habitat/fish/salmon_lifecycle.html ... See more

A key goal of the Klamath dam removal project is reopening at least 420 miles of historic habitat for salmon and steelhead. We have heard from many fishermen who cannot wait for all the new angling opportunities that will open. We believe dam removal will bring significant new economic opportunities – and perhaps some new fishing lodges! ... See more

KRRC is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors composed of 15 members: five appointed by the Governor of CA, four appointed by the Governor of OR, 1 appointed from the Karuk Tribe, 1 appointed from the Yurok Tribe, two appointed by conservation groups, and one appointed by the Institute for Fisheries Resources and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. Each Board member serves because they care deeply about the Klamath River and the Basin communities and want to leave a legacy of a recovering river, rebounding populations of salmon and steelhead, and greater economic stability for the entire region. We are grateful for their leadership, time, and dedication to this important project! ... See more

Factual Friday: What are Klamath salmon worth? Individual fishermen find salmon exciting to catch, but did you know that Klamath salmon support commercial fisheries worth $150 million per year and a local recreation industry that contributes millions to the Klamath Basin economy? It is estimated that the Klamath dam removal project will substantially reduce the risk of fishery disasters, such as the complete commercial closure of 2006, which cost more than $100 million in economic losses. Improved fisheries will benefit commercial and recreational fishermen alike.

The dam removal project also benefits the public by reducing public spending on disaster relief. Over the past ten years, hundreds of millions in public dollars have been spent on emergency measures for fishermen, Tribes, and farmers in response to rotating Klamath crises. We are glad to be one piece of the broader solution to resolve the root causes of these problems. ... See more

KRRC is allocating significant resources on a restoration effort once the four reservoirs on the Klamath are drawn down to river level. Early on, we needed to know how well the sediment would grow native vegetation, so we excavated sediments and planted test containers as well as much larger test plots. The results were awesome. These images show successful, healthy seed germination and growth with extensive root development at each of the locations. We are excited as we envision native plants covering the restored reservoir footprints! ... See more

12,000 square miles. That is the scope of the Klamath River Basin, which means that a whopping amount of water and snow falling in that vast area is eventually moving toward the Klamath River. But it arrives in a variety of rivers, streams, creeks, and springs, all in a roundabout way. The headwaters of the Wood River, for example, emanate from a large natural spring found in Oregon’s Jackson F. Kimball State Recreation Site. The aptly named Spring Creek is crystal clear, breathtakingly cold, and almost preposterously beautiful, as you can see from the photo. The spring is believed to originate 20 miles to the northwest near Crater Lake National Park. The Wood, Sprague, Williamson and Sycan rivers all drain into Upper Klamath Lake, which in turn, drain to the Klamath River.

One key goal of the Klamath dam removal project is to remove fish passage barriers so salmon, steelhead and other fish species can return to Oregon after a century of absence. Not only is this great for fish and the environment, but it will open all kinds of new fishing and recreation opportunities for the region. ... See more

Factual Friday: Some believe that salmon never reached areas above the dams. But if that were true, how did the great explorer John C. Fremont see them in Klamath Falls...in 1846? Dam removal will return salmon to their native, historic habitat.

See page 329 of this study to learn a little more about the Pathfinder’s early report: https://www.ohs.org/research-and-library/oregon-historical-quarterly/upload/Hamilton_Chinook-Salmon-Migrations_OHQ_117_3_Fall-2016_Spread.pdf ... See more

Many people have asked what will happen with the sediment stored behind the lower Klamath dams once they are removed. It’s an understandable question, which is why it has been so exhaustively studied. This outlines what the research has shown. Most importantly, the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Draft Environmental Impact Report projects that the sediment released and transported to the ocean will be similar to the amount carried during a year with average flow and less than what is delivered during a wet year. ... See more