“Why did PacifiCorp’s license to operate the dams expire?”

The federal government granted a 50-year license that allowed PacifiCorp to operate four Klamath River dams. That license term expired in 2006. A new license would have required massive and very expensive upgrades to the dams, including fish ladders. The cost of those upgrades would have been billed to ratepayers. Rather than continuing to seek a new license, PacifiCorp entered into the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) alongside federal, state, and local governments, two Tribal nations, and nine conservation and fishing groups. PacifiCorp concluded that surrendering the operating license and discontinuing operation of the dams, coupled with other terms of the KHSA, was in the best interests of its customers. ... See more

The Shasta River is one of several important tributaries to the Klamath River, and provides vital habitat for coho and chinook salmon. In recent years The Nature Conservancy and its partners restored 10 miles of the Shasta River, planted 6,000 native riparian trees, invested in over 60 scientific research projects and implemented new practices developed to improve salmon habitat by decreasing water temperatures and increasing stream flows. Numerous ongoing restoration efforts, while not a direct part of the KRRC project, are contributing to the overarching goal of restoring salmon in the Klamath Basin. Learn more about the largest dam removal and river restoration effort in US history at klamathrenewal.org ... See more

“Water quality in Upper Klamath Lake is already bad, and it feeds into the Klamath River. So how can dam removal improve water quality?”

That’s a great question, and we hear it quite often. Water quality feeding into the Klamath River from Upper Klamath Lake (UKL) is indeed poor during the late summer and fall, but the hydroelectric project reservoirs make water quality worse. The warm, slow-moving water conditions created by the reservoirs is fertile ground for massive toxic blue-green algae blooms that degrade river water quality through production of toxic microcystin and reduced dissolved oxygen. This photo of Iron Gate Reservoir helps tell the story. An Environmental Impact Report released by the California State Water Resources Control Board acknowledges existing water quality problems stemming from the Upper Klamath Lake, but concludes that this underlying problem does not diminish the very substantial water quality and fish population benefits from dam removal. ... See more

We are sometimes asked if there is any historical evidence of salmon in Link River and upstream. There certainly is! Check out this 1909 headline in the Klamath Republican: Great Sport on the River, Salmon are still Running ... See more

The U.S. Census Bureau notes that the unincorporated community of Klamath, at the extreme northern end of California, was home to a population 779 when the 2010 census was taken. There are even fewer residents today. But although the Census Bureau will still deem Klamath as very rural and very small, it is by no means unimportant. Because before there was a Census Bureau, and before there was a United States, and before the first Spanish explorers arrived, for time immemorial Klamath has been home to the Yurok people. The Yurok tribal headquarters is in the heart of Klamath, which is a short distance from the mouth of the Klamath River. This is Yurok country because salmon, for countless centuries, have simply always been there for the Yurok people. Until they weren’t.

In some recent years, so few fish returned to spawn that the Tribe suspended fishing in a desperate attempt to preserve the species. That is the Yurok version of a five-alarm fire. And we have to respond.

KRRC is dedicated to partnering with the Yurok people until we let the river again run free, allowing salmon and steelhead access to historic spawning grounds that have been blocked for a century by dams. Find out how to join the effort at www.klamathrenewal.org ... See more

The J. C. Boyle Dam is located about five miles west of Keno in southern Oregon, and about 12 miles north of the California border. It was built in 1958 and does include fish ladders. Regrettably, the dams below this one were not built with fish passage so the usefulness of the J.C Boyle fish ladders has always been limited. Once all the dams have been removed, a multimillion-dollar landscape restoration effort will begin. Our revegetation plan includes seeding reservoir footprints with native grasses and planting select areas with trees and shrubs, with species tailored to the location within the reservoir and proximity to streams and expected wetlands. Based on an outstanding record of performing restoration at a landscape level, KRRC has selected Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) to oversee this important effort. Learn more about RES at https://res.us/ ... See more

Mark Bransom, CEO for KRRC, examines the Copco Powerhouse in Siskiyou County. The massive structure was built in the 1920s and is situated near the two Copco dams slated for removal as part of the largest dam removal and river restoration efforts ever performed. “Our overarching goals are unimpeded fish passage and improving water quality in the Klamath River,” said Bransom. Learn more at www.klamathrenewal.org ... See more

Where will the earth and concrete be disposed of when the Lower Klamath Project Dams are removed? You can find the answer to this question, and many others, on our FAQ page: http://www.klamathrenewal.org/faqs/ ... See more

Klamath Salmon and Steelhead can cover thousands of miles during their years in the ocean, but they manage to find this spot to begin the trek home. Many of their historic river and tributary habitats have been blocked for a century by dams. KRRC aims to remedy that. Learn more at klamathrenewal.org ... See more

“Why not just install fish ladders so the dams can keep producing hydropower?”

We get that question a lot. There are several reasons fish ladders are not a good solution in the Klamath River. Let’s say fish ladders were installed, and salmon navigated all four reservoirs and successfully spawned above the dams. Imagine several million young fingerlings trying to make their way downriver and to the ocean without being chewed up by hydroelectric turbines. Losses would be enormous. Power production would likely have to be significantly curtailed during outmigration (less water through turbines), peaking power could not be done in current form, and bypass flows at Copco Dams 1 and 2 would further eat into the bottom line. Also, fish ladders would do nothing to remedy the toxic blue-green algae that thrives in the artificially warm, slow-moving water in the reservoirs. These seasonal algae blooms present such a health hazard that warning signs are often posted. Finally, under the terms of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, dam removal is by far the less expensive option for PacifiCorp customers. Dam removal is clearly the better choice for a host of reasons. ... See more