The world’s biggest dam removal project was just completed, opening up the Klamath River to Pacific salmon runs once again.
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Reasons For Hope
The Klamath River Renewal Project, a far-reaching state and federal partnership approved by the Biden-Harris Administration in 2022, is the largest dam removal project in history. As of September 2024, the removal phase is complete, with four dams removed from the Klamath River in Oregon and California. Throughout the fall, work crews will be planting native seeds to speed ecosystem regeneration in the emptied reservoirs.
This project opens up 420 miles of contiguous salmon habitat, which will now be connected with no dams blocking the way for the first time since 1918. The dam removal is particularly meaningful for the local Yurok people, as it could enable them to resume their traditional salmon fishing practices. In addition to physically blocking spawning runs, the dams were linked to buildups of toxic algae and large fish die-offs.
“Restoring the river enables future generations to have a shot at continuing the Yurok fishing way of life.”
-Amy Bowers-Cordalis, Yurok Tribe.
The project is also a climate resilience measure. NOAA reports that with the dams removed, Pacific salmon will now be able to reach spawning grounds in cold-water tributaries, increasing juveniles’ survival rates.
And there’s amazing potential for more projects like this. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ National Inventory of Dams, the U.S. currently has over 90,000 dams, the vast majority of which are small, state-regulated dams that don’t even produce any hydropower. Dams are increasingly obsolete, while healthy river ecosystems are more and more important in a warming world.
Hey there, I was wondering - are the emails to representatives tagged with some sort of “I’d like a reply”? I got a snail mail letter reply from my state’s AG’s office stating that the matter wasn’t under their purview and directing me to other agencies/contacts. I feel a little sheepish potentially blasting some of my non-legislator government folks with irrelevant letters they then “have to” respond to (and using time and resources in the process), but I’m trying not to let it stop me from sending the messages. I’m suppose beyond my initial question, I’m curious your thoughts on this in general!