“Imagine: I’m a 50-pound, big, chunky fish. I’m gonna haul it up the river toward my spawning grounds, and then boom, I hit Iron Gate Dam [on the Klamath],” says Parker. “I have a phenotype and genotype that have developed over thousands of years that are telling me I’m supposed to run 300 miles upriver, but I can’t because there’s a dam in the way.” ... See more

Spring-run Chinook salmon, critical to Indigenous fishers along the Klamath River, are in steep decline. But two recent developments may offer a path to their recovery.

You don’t have to be a scientist to conclude that the water in Copco Reservoir can be truly awful. But there is plenty of data to that effect if you want to dig into it. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, “Since 2005, monitoring in portions of the Klamath River watershed has documented prolonged blue-green algae blooms during the summer seasons. These blooms have occurred in Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs, the two lowermost reservoirs of PacifiCorp's Klamath Hydropower Project, along the Klamath River. In response to the sustained blooms and high toxin levels, EPA joined other local, tribal, state and federal agencies in warning residents and recreational users of the affected reaches of the river and/or reservoirs to use caution when near such blooms.”

Dam removal will replace stagnant pools of warm water with a flowing river that will improve water quality. Read more on the EPA website:
https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/www3/region9/water/watershed/klamath.html ... See more

As part of our continuing series about the people who run KRRC, we’d like to introduce you to Board member Glen Spain. An effective and long-time vocal advocate for better watershed and riparian protections for west coast salmon, Glen currently serves as the Northwest Regional Director for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) and the Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR). Glen has served on several advisory committees to the Boards of Forestry in both California and Oregon and for Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), served as the fishing industry representative for several years to the Klamath River Basin Fisheries Restoration Task Force, and has been working to restore the Klamath since the mid-1980s. He currently serves on the Habitat Committee of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC), the federal agency that manages all west coast salmon fisheries jointly with the States. In 2016, he was co-awarded the Attorney of the Year Award by the State of California State Bar Journal for landmark work on the Public Trust Doctrine as applied to water law in California. He is admitted to practice law in both California and Oregon and in several federal jurisdictions, and additionally serves as PCFFA/IFR General Legal Counsel.

“My main goal is ensuring a robust and sustainable salmon fishery for the many families whose livelihoods depend on abundant commercial salmon harvests. Removing the four, aging Klamath dams that block salmon habitat for what was once the third largest salmon run in the continental US is a key way to achieve that goal, and will help restore thousands of salmon-related jobs coastwide. But these valuable Klamath salmon runs are dangerously depleted, and there is no time to waste,” he said. ... See more

The KRRC project is about far more than removing four dams on the Klamath River. It is about reversing the alarming decline in salmon populations. It is about preserving Tribal cultures that have been inextricably intertwined with the Klamath Basin since time immemorial. It is about doing the right thing for future generations. ... See more

Did you know that the KRRC project is widely viewed as the largest dam removal in US history? This is because four dams (constituting the Lower Klamath Project) are being simultaneously removed from one of the major rivers of the Pacific Northwest. Iron Gate Dam is 173 feet high. Copco Number 1 Dam is 132 feet high. John C. Boyle Dam is 68 feet high. Copco Number 2 Dam is 38 feet high. Taken together, that is 411 vertical feet. By comparison, the Glines Canyon Dam (also known as Upper Elwha Dam) was 210 feet high. As of 2015, Glines Canyon is the tallest dam ever intentionally breached. While none of the dams KRRC is removing are as tall, a four-dam removal is unprecedented. But our goal is not to break records. Our mission is to create a free-flowing river so that fish can access their historic habitat, and thrive once again.

Learn more about the KRRC project on our website: www.klamathrenewal.org ... See more

We love this brief but informative video.

Dr. Rob Lusardi, a conservation biologist at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, showed how reconnecting the Klamath watershed could increase the odds of survival for salmonids while benefitting the entire Klamath river community. We’ve come a long way in seeing a reconnected watershed even since Dr. Lusardi first recorded his video last year. ... See more

One of the challenges facing the Klamath River is that it is just so incredibly beautiful. You can follow it for hundreds of miles, stopping in awe at vista after vista, making it hard to imagine that the scenic Klamath is one of the most impaired rivers in the nation. But the river has been marred for decades by dams built without fish ladders, reservoirs that warm seasonally and foster massive blooms of toxic blue-green algae, and a river bottom that in places is covered with polychaete worm colonies so thick that they look like shag carpet. Dam removal will eliminate or substantially decrease these dire conditions. ... See more

He worked in orchards in the summer. He built a thriving business based on fruit puree. He is a peacemaker at heart, and is utterly devoted to the Klamath Basin. This Southern Oregon Magazine article is a great way to get to know Jim Root, President of the KRRC Board. ... See more

Creating roads robust enough to handle trucks featuring wheels taller than the drivers is no small task. Listen to Jim Fitzgerald discuss preparations to improve access roads to Copco Dams 1 and 2.

We are pleased to announce a novel opportunity to augment the work of KRRC through a car donation program. Two Rotary Clubs in the Bay Area are keenly interested in restoring the Klamath River and have partnered with KRRC in a program called “Cars 2nd Chance.” You can donate vehicles – including motor homes – running or not. In return, you are eligible for a tax deduction based on the amount received for your donated vehicle. 50% of the net proceeds will go to KRRC, and 50% will go to Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary and Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Rotary for their other charitable efforts. The vehicle will be picked up at no cost to you. To learn more, please visit: cars2ndchance.com/klamath-river-renewal-corporation/

We are pleased to have friends partner with us to accomplish our mission to renew the Klamath River! While the KRRC project itself is fully funded, our funding is allocated specifically for dam removal and landscape restoration. But we are supportive of other initiatives that will enhance public use and enjoyment of the river, such as building recreation amenities like improved boat launches, parking and trails. Your generous donation could also provide important seed money for advancing special initiatives such as a feasibility study on economic opportunities in the Klamath Basin in connection with dam removal, recreation planning, and science and education. A modest amount will be used to offset administrative expenses. ... See more

Cars2ndChance pledges to quickly pick up your vehicle and maximize your donation to KRRC. Your vehicle’s net sales proceeds will be shared 50-50 between KRRC and the two SF Bay Area Rotary clubs that administer the Cars2ndChance program. Please fill in each field completely. The form is secure, an... ... See more