Salmon can now move freely along the river and its tributaries for the first time in over a century.
The last of four dams on the Klamath River on the border between California and Oregon was demolished last week, signaling the completion of the nation’s largest-ever dam removal project.
As Rachel Ramirez explains in an article for CNN, “The removal of the four hydroelectric dams — Iron Gate Dam, Copco Dams 1 and 2, and JC Boyle Dam — allows the region’s iconic salmon population to swim freely along the Klamath River and its tributaries, which the species have not been able to do for over a century since the dams were built.”
The project is hailed as a victory for local tribal nations such as the Yurok, who have been fighting for the dams’ removal for decades. Although the dams were built to produce hydroelectric power, they only contributed 2 percent or less of PacifiCorp’s energy supply. Mark Bransom, chief executive officer of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, says the corporation will now engage in further restoration work that includes the planting of almost 16 billion native plant seeds in the Klamath Basin.
FULL STORY: The largest dam removal project in the US is completed – a major win for Indigenous tribes
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