#Klamath River basin

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Oregon Public Broadcasting:

At a small dam on Sun Creek made out of corrugated vinyl sheeting, National Park Service fish biologist Dave Hering shuts off water leading into a metal box the size of a small elevator.

Michael Scheu, one of Hering’s team members, climbs inside. Surrounding his feet are twelve bull trout. They got trapped here trying to head upstream. Scheu collects half of them in a black bucket, handing it off to another team member above.

Bull trout are the only remaining native fish species in Crater Lake National Park. They used to be found all over the Klamath Basin, Hering says, including nearby Fort Creek.

“Fort Creek is a place where a bull trout was sampled in the 19th century and actually held in the Smithsonian,” says Hering. “And for decades, including the whole first 15 years of my career here, we didn’t have bull trout there anymore.”

Competition from a closely related cousin, the brook trout, introduced for fishing in the early 1900s, was the primary factor leading to bull trout being listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1998.

Native to the eastern U.S., brook trout evolved with slightly different traits that allow them to outcompete the bull trout in its natural habitat. They mature at a younger age, thereby producing more eggs over a longer period of time than bull trout, among other advantages.

In 1989, scientists found a disturbingly small number of bull trout high up Sun Creek, inside the national park. Mark Buktenica is the now-retired fish biologist for the park service who began the effort to save the species.

“The National Park Service mandate from Congress is pretty clear,” Buktenica said on a 1999 episode of Oregon Field Guide. “We’re supposed to preserve and protect these ecosystems in their natural condition. Well, the natural condition for Sun Creek is to have resident bull trout.”

Back then, Buktenica and his team built two dams on Sun Creek to prevent non-native fish from getting further upstream. Then, they used a specialized poison to kill any brook trout upstream of the dams.

Hering took over Buktenica’s work when he retired in 2017. He says he’s gotten more and more invested since their population has grown in number.

“A lot of people — anglers and fish enthusiasts — describe it as sort of an ugly fish or one that isn’t as nice to look at as some others. But I think they’re beautiful,” Hering says.

Hering was there when, in 2017, scientists reconnected Sun Creek to the Wood River for the first time in over 150 years. The tributary had been isolated on private land and used for irrigation, cutting bull trout off from other parts of the Klamath Basin.

[official-nature-posts]

Official nature post

Hey, don't cry. First salmon spotted returning to sites on the Klamath River previously dammed for more than a century, okay?

https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/klamath-dam-removal-salmon-19844792.php

[reasonsforhope]

"For years, California was slated to undertake the world’s largest dam removal project in order to free the Klamath River to flow as it had done for thousands of years.

Now, as the project nears completion, imagery is percolating out of Klamath showing the waterway’s dramatic transformation, and they are breathtaking to behold.

Pictured: Klamath River flows freely, after Copco-2 dam was removed in California.

Incredibly, the project has been nearly completed on schedule and under budget, and recently concluded with the removal of two dams, Iron Gate and Copco 1. Small “cofferdams” which helped divert water for the main dams’ construction, still need to be removed.

The river, along which salmon and trout had migrated and bred for centuries, can flow freely between Lake Ewauna in Klamath Falls, Oregon, to the Pacific Ocean for the first time since the dams were constructed between 1903 and 1962.

“This is a monumental achievement—not just for the Klamath River but for our entire state, nation, and planet,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “By taking down these outdated dams, we are giving salmon and other species a chance to thrive once again, while also restoring an essential lifeline for tribal communities who have long depended on the health of the river.”

“We had a really incredible moment to share with tribes as we watched the final cofferdams be broken,” Ren Brownell, Klamath River Renewal Corp. public information officer, told SFGATE. “So we’ve officially returned the river to its historic channel at all the dam sites. But the work continues.”

Pictured: Iron Gate Dam, before and after.

“The dams that have divided the basin are now gone and the river is free,” Frankie Myers, vice chairman of the Yurok Tribe, said in a tribal news release from late August. “Our sacred duty to our children, our ancestors, and for ourselves, is to take care of the river, and today’s events represent a fulfillment of that obligation.”

The Yurok Tribe has lived along the Klamath River forever, and it was they who led the decades-long campaign to dismantle the dams.

At first the water was turbid, brown, murky, and filled with dead algae—discharges from riverside sediment deposits and reservoir drainage. However, Brownell said the water quality will improve over a short time span as the river normalizes.

“I think in September, we may have some Chinook salmon and steelhead moseying upstream and checking things out for the first time in over 60 years,” said Bob Pagliuco, a marine habitat resource specialist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in July.

Pictured: JC Boyle Dam, before and after.

“Based on what I’ve seen and what I know these fish can do, I think they will start occupying these habitats immediately. There won’t be any great numbers at first, but within several generations—10 to 15 years—new populations will be established.”

Ironically, a news release from the NOAA states that the simplification of the Klamath River by way of the dams actually made it harder for salmon and steelhead to survive and adapt to climate change.

“When you simplify the habitat as we did with the dams, salmon can’t express the full range of their life-history diversity,” said NOAA Research Fisheries Biologist Tommy Williams.

“The Klamath watershed is very prone to disturbance. The environment throughout the historical range of Pacific salmon and steelhead is very dynamic. We have fires, floods, earthquakes, you name it. These fish not only deal with it well, it’s required for their survival by allowing the expression of the full range of their diversity. It challenges them. Through this, they develop this capacity to deal with environmental changes.”

-via Good News Network, October 9, 2024

[hope-for-the-planet]

Only four months after dams blocking migration were removed, the first Chinook salmon traveled 230 miles to return to the Klamath River Basin. This was the first fish to come home to their ancestral migration routes since 1912.

Over 100 years shut out and it only took them four months to return home once they had the chance.

From the article:

“The return of our relatives the c’iyaal’s is overwhelming for our tribe. This is what our members worked for and believed in for so many decades,” said Roberta Frost, Klamath Tribes Secretary. “I want to honor that work and thank them for their persistence in the face of what felt like an unmovable obstacle. The salmon are just like our tribal people, and they know where home is and returned as soon as they were able[.]"

[californiastatelibrary]

In early October, the first time in 100 years, salmon were observed swimming past the sites of former dams as they migrated from the ocean into the Klamath River. This was made possible by the removal of dams that previously blocked salmon from completing their historic migration. 

Interested in learning more? Join the California History Section for their next Speaker Series virtual talk, Toward a Decolonial Future: Klamath River Temporary Dams with Dr. Brittani Orona on Wednesday, November 13 at 4PM. With the four dams removed, this talk will explore the relationship of the lower Klamath River and how Hupa, Yurok, and Karuk story and ceremony intertwine on the Basin to build a new, decolonial future for the river itself.

The event is free but requires registration. For more information and to register, visit https://libraryca.libcal.com/calendar/californiastatelibrary/KlamathRiver .

[shirleycarlton]

Can you imagine how many have been trying all this time?

🏞️ !!! happy breaking news !!! after more than 100 years, fall-run Chinook salmon have returned to the Klamath River Basin: one month after the last dam obstacle was removed!!! 🏞️ Mark Hereford, ODFW’s Klamath Fisheries Reintroduction Project Leader, was part of the survey team that identified the fall-run Chinook. His team was ecstatic when they saw the first salmon.

“We saw a large fish the day before rise to surface in the Klamath River, but we only saw a dorsal fin,” said Hereford. “I thought, was that a salmon or maybe it was a very large rainbow trout?” Once the team returned on Oct. 16 and 17, they were able to confirm that salmon were in the tributary.

It marks the return of migrating fish to the area following the removal of four Klamath River dams. The salmon likely traveled 230 miles from the Pacific Ocean.

[beatrice-otter]

The tribes, environmentalists and their allies celebrated the shrinking waters as an essential next step in what they say will be a decades-long process of restoring one of the West's largest salmon fisheries and a region the size of West Virginia back to health. Yurok tribal member and fisheries director Barry McCovey was amazed at how fast the river and the lands surrounding the Copco dam were revealed. "The river had already found its path and reclaimed its original riverbed, which is pretty amazing to see," he said. The 6,500-member tribe's lands span the Klamath's final 44 miles to the Pacific Ocean, and the Yurok and other tribes that depend on the Klamath for subsistence and cultural activities have long advocated for the dams' removal and for ecological restoration. Amid the largest-ever dam removal in the U.S., rumors and misunderstandings have spread through social media, in grange halls and in local establishments. In the meantime, public agencies and private firms race to correct misinformation by providing facts and real data on how the Klamath is recovering from what one official called "major heart surgery." But while dam removal continues, a coalition of tribes, upper Klamath Basin farmers, and the Biden administration have struck a new deal to restore the Klamath Basin and improve water supplies for birds, fish and farmers alike. ...

The Yurok Tribe also contracted with Resource Environmental Solutions to collect the billions of seeds from native plants needed to restore the denuded lands revealed when the waters subsided. The company, known to locals as RES, took a whole-ecological approach while planning the project. In addition to rehabbing about 2,200 acres of land exposed after the four shallow reservoirs finish draining, "we have obligations for a number of species, including eagles and Western pond turtles," said David Coffman, RES' Northern California and Southern Oregon director. ... The company also plans to support important pollinators like native bumblebees and monarch butterflies and protect species of special concern like the willow flycatcher. And, Coffman said, removal of invasive plant species like star thistle is also underway. In some cases, he said, workers will pull any invasives out by hand if they notice them encroaching on newly planted areas. ...

The Interior Department announced Wednesday that the agency had signed a deal with the Yurok, Karuk and Klamath Tribes and the Klamath Basin Water Users Association to collaborate on Klamath Basin restoration and improving water reliability for the Klamath Project, a federal irrigation and agricultural project. An Interior Department spokesperson said the agency had been meeting with river tribes and the farmers of the Upper Basin for the first time in a decade to develop a plan to restore basin health, support fish and wildlife in the region, and support agriculture in the Upper Basin. "We're trying to make it as healthy as possible and restore things like wetlands, natural stream channels and forested watershed," the spokesperson said. He likened it to keeping the "sponge" wetlands provide to store water wet. The effort is meant to be a cross-agency and cross-state process. The Biden administration also announced $72 million in funding for ecosystem restoration and agricultural infrastructure modernization throughout the Klamath Basin from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.  

[woolandcoffee]

In actual good news, the dam removal process on the Klamath River is almost complete! The Klamath River used to be one of the main salmon producing rivers on the west coast, but over a century of damming and colonial environmental degradation has caused salmon populations in the Klamath to drop dramatically. Hopefully, with the dams gone, the salmon will start to return. Salmon and the Klamath River are incredibly important to the indigenous peoples of the Klamath Basin, and it is thanks to their efforts - particularly from the Yurok and Karuk Tribes - that the dams have been removed.

[pcttrailsidereader]

The PCT takes many twists and turns as it makes it way. Often the route is predictable and logical as it follows a ridgeline or parallels a creek or moves toward a pass. But there are many stretches of trail where I have scratched my head about the chosen route. There are times when the trail avoids unseen hazards or swings around to touch a water source. There are other times when the trail has to avoid private land or, in the case of the trail west of Scott Mountain Summit, Camp Unalayee. What is the backstory on such routing decisions?

Tom Buoye shares the backstory on this one stretch of the PCT . . . a story that is both unique and common along the length of the trail.

Why does the PCT west of Scott Mountain Summit (Section P) get lose elevation but becomes more scenic with the vistas of the Trinity  Alps appearing to the southwest?  As you cross over the divide into Trinity County, just after entering the Trinity Alps Wilderness area, the PCT no longer hangs as close to the top of the ridges as possible,  but for 4 miles slowly drops until it crosses Mosquito Creek, with easy access to water,  and then climbs gradually until it gets as high as possible.  It does this because of an extraordinary agreement between the USFS and Camp Unalayee, a private non-profit summer camp.  

The USFS helped to  save the experiences of hundreds of children every year who attend Camp Unalayee by routing the PCT below Mosquito Lake on Camp Unalayee property.

Camp Unalayee was established on Mosquito Lake  in the Trinity Alps Primitive Area in 1959.  Ever since then Unalayee has  taken 100’s of  campers on backpacking trips all over the Klamath Mountains each year.  Unalayee is by far the biggest user of the 25 miles of the PCT that crosses the Alps.   Unalayee uses it to access the dozen of lakes and streams that campers backpack to in the Klamath River drainage.  (See earlier posts on this website about Unalayee and its unique relationship to the PCT -- https://pcttrailsidereader.com/post/58069038741/place-of-friends-part-1)

In the early 1970s, the temporary PCT transected the Trinity Alps Primitive Area on existing trails, logging roads and highways in the north-eastern section of this 500,000 acre roadless area.  Needless to say the temporary PCT was far below Scott Mountain on Highway 3 and involved a hour long uphill hike to Mosquito Lake on the old Tangle Blue trail.

In 1975, as I remember it, the USFS personnel attended a Camp Unalayee Board of Directors (BOD) meeting and proposed to put the trail between Scott Mountain and Eagle Peak.  Several proposals were considered.  The Forest Service was very aware of Camp Unalayee concerns regarding the impact of hundreds of hikers passing right above the lake heavily used by campers.   This would be one of the few lakes PCT hikers would have seen since leaving Deadfall Lakes.

The Unalayee BOD proposed using the existing temporary trail. Too much elevation gain and loss the USFS correctly stated.  What about putting the trail on the north side of the Siskiyou-Trinity divide the Unalayee BOD suggested? Once again the USFS correctly said that route had too much snow that could and did exist into late August in some years.   And would have been much more costly due to the steep and rocky terrain.

The USFS then suggested a route that would contour through the Mosquito Lake basin 100 vertical feet above the lake.  They could have done this, as it was all public land. The Unalayee BOD freaked out. This could destroy our Unalayee or certainly impact it significantly.  No way, you can’t do this. Yes they could.

(Double click on map image to enlarge)

Fortunately, the USFS proposed another possibility that involved routing the trail above the Unalayee access road eventually contouring below the road until it crossed onto Unalayee’s property, forded Mosquito Creek before climbing gradually to the ridge separating the Mosquito and Marshy Lake basins.

But it would require the Unalayee BOD  to grant a variance to the USFS to cut the trail on private property.  It was a brilliant suggestion and after some discussion it was approved with one exception.  One lot owner down on Little Marshy Lake was adamantly opposed.  He felt it would impact his land.  "You hippies ‘had no respect for private property’, he muttered.

Later, when the trail was being cut above Marshy Lake through massive fields of manzanita and brush, that lot owner, hiked up from Little Marshy on the Unalayee use trail and realized that the PCT would have no impact on his beautiful spot along Little Marshy Lake. And to this day there has been little if any impact on Camp Unalayee or other private property nearby. It is a PCT success story.

As a side note, when the PCT was being laid out they (Marlboro Man, as he was called) tied yellow ribbons to the foilage.   He had to come back the following year to re-mark the proposed route with new ribbons as Unalayee campers came back from near Eagle  Peak with hundreds of feet of the yellow ribbon, tied in their hair and to their backpacks.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this press release from the US Fish & Wildlife Service:

The U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced nearly $46 million in investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for ecosystem restoration activities that address high-priority Klamath Basin water-related challenges in southern Oregon and northern California. 

In February, the Department announced a landmark agreement between the Klamath Tribes, Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe and Klamath Water Users Association to advance collaborative efforts to restore the Klamath Basin ecosystem and improve water supply reliability for Klamath Project agriculture. Funds announced today will support 24 restoration projects developed by signers of this agreement, as well as other Tribes and other conservation partners. 

Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Department is implementing more than $2 billion in investments to restore the nation’s lands and waters. To guide these historic investments, and in support of the President’s America the Beautiful initiative,the Department unveiled the Restoration and Resilience Framework, to support coordination across agency programs and drive transformational outcomes, including a commitment to advance collaborative efforts to restore the Klamath Basin ecosystem and improve water supply reliability for Klamath Project agriculture through the Klamath Keystone Initiative. By working collaboratively with ranchers, state and local governments, Tribal nations, and other stakeholders, the Department is working to build ecological resilience in core habitats and make landscape-scale restoration investments across this important ecosystem. 

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law , the Service is investing a total of $162 million over five years to restore the Klamath region’s ecosystem and repair local economies. These investments will secure reliable water for the national wildlife refuges, advance the restoration of salmon post dam removal, address water quality and conveyance issues, and support co-developed restoration projects with Tribes, farmers and ranchers, and conservation partners. 

As part of today’s investments, $13 million will be used to complete restoration of the Agency-Barnes wetland units of Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and provide fish habitat access in Fourmile and Sevenmile creeks. Covering 14,356 acres, the restored wetland will create vital habitat for waterfowl, federally endangered Lost River and shortnose suckers, and other species, making it one of the largest wetland restoration initiatives in the United States. 

[burdsandwurds]

“Salmon have officially returned to Oregon’s Klamath Basin for the first time in more than a century, months after the largest dam removal project in U.S. history freed hundreds of miles of the Klamath River near the California-Oregon border.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed the news on Oct. 17, a day after its fish biologists identified a fall run of Chinook salmon in a tributary to the Klamath River above the former J.C. Boyle Dam, the department said.”

[nedsecondline]

After dam removals, salmon still remember how to reach Klamath tributaries – Darcy Hitchcock

On October 16th, a fall-run Chinook salmon was identified by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) in a tributary to the Klamath River above the now-demolished J.C. Boyle Dam, becoming the first fish to return to the Klamath Basin in Oregon since 1912 when the first of four hydroelectric dams was constructed, blocking migration. The salmon and others likely traveled about 230 miles…

[turtlesandfrogs]

So, I really encourage you to do some reading on what pre-contact (and pre-disease contact) ecosystems looked like around here, because it's fascinating. And horrifying, when you put the picture together between all the arms of colonization (disease, wars, intentionally destroying food sources, over hunting beavers, banning traditional practices, etc, etc). Like, really, I started at the same place where you are, and it's incredible.

Here's a little introduction to the oaks: https://www.ecolandscaping.org/05/designing-ecological-landscapes/trees/prairie-oak-ecosystems-pacific-northwest/

With a few quotes:

"Studies show that the genus Quercus hosts more caterpillars and other insect life than any other genus in the northern hemisphere. This proficiency is especially important during breeding season, when the vast majority of land birds consume, and feed their young, highly nutritious larvae, adult insects, and spiders – not seeds or fruit. Other studies show a higher diversity of bird species in oak forests than in nearby conifer forests."

"The historic range of Q. garryana stretches from low elevations of southwestern British Columbia (including Vancouver Island and nearby smaller islands) into California. In Washington, it occurs mainly west of the Cascades on Puget Sound islands and in the Puget Trough, and east along the Columbia River. In Oregon, it’s indigenous to the Willamette, Rogue River, and Umpqua Valleys, and within the Klamath Mountains." "Since Euro-American settlement, as much as 99 percent of the original prairie-oak communities that were present in parts of the Pacific Northwest have been lost and many rare species dependent on them are at risk of extinction. Extensive destruction and fragmentation began with settlement in the 1850s, with clearing, plowing, livestock grazing, wildfire suppression, and cutting of trees for firewood and manufacturing. Prairie wetlands bejeweled with wildflowers were drained and ditched. Later, subsidies to ranchers encouraged more destructive grazing, while urban sprawl and agricultural use, fueled by human population increase, intensified. Invasion of nonnative species, and the encroachment of shade tolerant and faster growing species – that proliferate with fire suppression – outcompeted oaks and displaced or decimated additional native flora and fauna. Prairie-oak ecosystems and associated systems continue to disappear, and isolation of the tiny remaining fragments prevents the migration of wildlife and genetic material from one area to another. Other detrimental factors include diseases and parasites, climate change, and the loss of wildlife that cache acorns and perform other functions."

The thing about Douglas firs, is that they are a pioneer species- they move into prairies and turn them into forests, which obviously displaces that species that are dependent on prairie ecosystems.

Here's a few resources that talk more about this concept in general:

http://w.southsoundprairies.org/documents/Indigenousburning.pdf

I remember reading ethnographic accounts from the tribes in my area, which described what the Puget Sound Basin looked like before contact, and apparently the prairies used to be much more extensive than they currently are, and Douglas firs were seen as a weed in the prairie ecosystems because they were so prone to taking over. But I can't find that resource right now and I need to go because I've got a thing. I may try to find that resource later.

What I was taught growing up: Wild edible plants and animals were just so naturally abundant that the indigenous people of my area, namely western Washington state, didn't have to develop agriculture and could just easily forage/hunt for all their needs.

The first pebble in what would become a landslide: Native peoples practiced intentional fire, which kept the trees from growing over the camas praire.

The next: PNW native peoples intentionally planted and cultivated forest gardens, and we can still see the increase in biodiversity where these gardens were today.

The next: We have an oak prairie savanna ecosystem that was intentionally maintained via intentional fire (which they were banned from doing for like, 100 years and we're just now starting to do again), and this ecosystem is disappearing as Douglas firs spread, invasive species take over, and land is turned into European-style agricultural systems.

The Land Slide: Actually, the native peoples had a complex agricultural and food processing system that allowed them to meet all their needs throughout the year, including storing food for the long, wet, dark winter. They collected a wide variety of plant foods (along with the salmon, deer, and other animals they hunted), from seaweeds to roots to berries, and they also managed these food systems via not only burning, but pruning, weeding, planting, digging/tilling, selectively harvesting root crops so that smaller ones were left behind to grow and the biggest were left to reseed, and careful harvesting at particular times for each species that both ensured their perennial (!) crops would continue thriving and that harvest occurred at the best time for the best quality food. American settlers were willfully ignorant of the complex agricultural system, because being thus allowed them to claim the land wasn't being used. Native peoples were actively managing the ecosystem to produce their food, in a sustainable manner that increased biodiversity, thus benefiting not only themselves but other species as well.

So that's cool. If you want to read more, I suggest "Ancient Pathways, Ancestral Knowledge: Ethnobotany and Ecological Wisdom of Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America" by Nancy J. Turner

[californiastatelibrary]

In early October, the first time in 100 years, salmon were observed swimming past the sites of former dams as they migrated from the ocean into the Klamath River. This was made possible by the removal of dams that previously blocked salmon from completing their historic migration. 

Interested in learning more? Join the California History Section for their next Speaker Series virtual talk, Toward a Decolonial Future: Klamath River Temporary Dams with Dr. Brittani Orona on Wednesday, November 13 at 4PM. With the four dams removed, this talk will explore the relationship of the lower Klamath River and how Hupa, Yurok, and Karuk story and ceremony intertwine on the Basin to build a new, decolonial future for the river itself.

The event is free but requires registration. For more information and to register, visit https://libraryca.libcal.com/calendar/californiastatelibrary/KlamathRiver .

[xtruss]

The Largest Dam Removal Project In The US Is Completed – A Major Win For Indigenous Tribes

— By Rachel Ramirez | Sunday September 1, 2024

Construction crews removed the top of the Cofferdam that was left of Iron Gate Dam, allowing the Klamath River to run in its original path for the first time in nearly a century near Hornbrook, California, on Wednesday. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/Hearst Newspapers/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images

The largest dam removal project in US history is finally complete, after crews last week demolished the last of the four dams on the Klamath River. It’s a significant win for Tribal Nations on the Oregon-California Border who for decades have fought to restore the river back to its natural state.

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.

Mark Bransom, chief executive officer of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the nonprofit group created to oversee the project, said it was a “celebratory moment,” as his staff members, conservationists, government officials and tribal members gathered and cheered on the bank of the river near where the largest of the dams, Iron Gate, once stood.

Federal regulators approved the plan to raze the dams in 2022. The next year, the smallest of the four dams, Copco No. 2, was removed. Crews then began releasing water from the dams’ reservoirs at the beginning of this year, which was necessary before dismantling the last remaining dams.

The river system has been steeped in controversy: During the recent historic Western drought that dried up the Klamath Basin, an intense water war pitted local farmers against Indigenous tribes, government agencies and conservationists.

But anxiety turned to joy for the Indigenous people who have lived for centuries among the Klamath and its tributaries.

“We all came together in the moment with a feeling that ranged from pure joy to anticipation to excitement,” Bransom told CNN. “For the first time in over 100 years, the river is now back in its historical channel, and I think that was an extraordinarily profound moment for people to actually witness that — the reconnecting of a river.”

Tribal Members hug as crews took down what was left of Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River. A coalition of tribes, local and state authorities joined to make the years-long project a reality. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/Hearst Newspapers/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images

The Yurok Tribe in Northern California are known as the “salmon people.” To them, the salmon are sacred species that are central to their culture, diet and ceremonies. As the story goes, the spirit that created the salmon also created humans and without the fish, they would cease to exist.

Amy Bowers-Cordalis, a member of and general counsel for the Yurok Tribe, said seeing those dams come down meant “freedom” and the start of the river’s “healing process.”

“The river for Yurok has always been our lifeblood,” Bowers-Cordalis told CNN. Unlike her tribe’s elders, she couldn’t catch as many fish growing up and would see fish carcasses rotting on the banks. “So, restoring the river enables future generations to have a shot at continuing the Yurok fishing way of life.”

Manmade dams, warm water and prolonged droughts have profoundly altered the river and the ecosystems that rely on it, including most importantly, the salmon population.

Beginning their lives in freshwater systems, like the Klamath River, then traveling out to the salty ocean and back again to their spawning grounds, the chinook and coho salmon face a mix of dangers.

In 2002, a viral outbreak due to warm temperatures and low water killed more than 34,000 fish species, primarily the chinook salmon on the Klamath River. It was a turning point for the Yurok and other tribes in the basin, who regard the salmon as culturally and spiritually significant, to push for the dams’ removal.

The largest of the four dams, the Iron Gate, Standing 173-Feet Tall and 740-Feet Wide, was the last one to be demolished, allowing the Klamath River to flow freely for the first time in over a century. Courtesy Shane Anderson. Before (Left) and After (Right)

The utility company PacifiCorps — a subsidiary of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy — built the dams in the early to mid-1900s, without tribal consent, to generate electricity for parts of the growing West. But the dams severely disrupted the lifecycle of the salmon, blocking the fish from accessing their historic spawning grounds.

Then there’s the climate crisis: Warm water and drought-fueled water shortages in the Klamath River killed salmon eggs and young fish due to low oxygen and lack of food and allowed the spread of viruses.

Julie Alexander, senior researcher at Oregon State University, said even without climate change, dam installations still alter the flow regime of rivers, which then changes the water’s temperatures since reservoirs act as thermal units that get warm in the summer.

“This tends to exacerbate pathogens and concentrates the fish so they’re more on top of each other, so you have directly transmitted parasites that can kind of jump from fish to fish,” Alexander told CNN.

Although monumental, the dam demolition project raised concerns over the years about water quality. Built-up sediments stored behind the dam for over a century, potentially containing high levels of organic material, have been released, transforming the river into muddy brown water and harming some of the wildlife in and around it.

But Bransom described it as “short term pain for long-term gain.”

As for the reason the dams were constructed in the first place — electricity — removing them won’t hurt the power supply much, experts say. Even at full capacity, all four dams produced less than 2% of PacifiCorp’s energy, according to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation.

Up next is ramping up restoration work. Bransom said they plan to put down nearly 16 billion seeds of almost 100 native species across 2,200-acres of land in the Klamath River Basin.

And after more than a century, the fish can now swim freely. Yurok’s Bowers-Cordalis said seeing the river reconnected is a form of giving their land back, which is really the “ultimate reward.”

[rvtravellife]

Adventure through Crater Lake National Park Oregon

by Paige Guscott Embark on a thrilling adventure through the breathtaking Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Discover stunning landscapes, azure waters, and captivating wildlife. Experience the ultimate outdoor escape today!.... History of Crater Lake National Park Oregon, USA Crater Lake National Park was established on May 22, 1902, by President Theodore Roosevelt. It was the fifth park in the United States to be brought under the stewardship of the National Park Service. The establishment was a result of efforts by individuals like William Gladstone Steel, who advocated for the protection of the area. Prior to its designation, the region around Crater Lake had been recognized for its geological value and unique landscape, formed around 7,700 years ago when the then-towering Mount Mazama erupted. This massive volcanic event expelled so much material that the mountain could no longer support itself, leading to its collapse and the formation of a vast caldera. Over time, rain and snowfall filled the basin, giving birth to Crater Lake National Park Oregon. The Indigenous Klamath Tribe has long revered the lake as a sacred site. They witnessed the collapse of Mount Mazama and have passed down oral histories that speak to the event's profound spiritual impact. This history adds a rich cultural background to the park's geological marvels. Though not the deepest lake in the world, at 1,943 feet deep, it is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the clearest in the world. The clarity is due to the water being primarily sourced from snow and rain, lacking the sediment that rivers or streams might carry into the lake. The Circle of Discovery Crater Lake National Park Oregon USA is a part of the 'Circle of Discovery', a collection of 5 national parks and national recreation areas in Oregon and California. The Circle includes Crater Lake National Park Oregon, Lava Beds and Tule Lake National Monuments, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Redwood National and State Parks. These areas are carefully managed to ensure that visitors can fully experience nature while also preserving the natural beauty of the land. These areas offer a wide range of activities such as hiking, camping, fishing, and wildlife viewing. They are the perfect places for families, friends, and individuals to connect with the outdoors. Plants and Animals of Crater Lake Within the borders of Crater Lake National Park Oregon lies a vibrant tapestry of ecological diversity, ranging from ancient forests to meadows abloom with wildflowers. Ecological Diversity in the Park Within Crater Lake National Park Oregon you can find a forest of trees that have stood tall for centuries. That's the old-growth forest of the park, a sanctuary for towering pines and firs that have weathered storms and seasons for hundreds of years. These forests are not only remarkable to look at, but also serve as a crucial habitat for a number of species. The understory of these woods is a maze of thimbleberries, huckleberries, and ferns, creating a lush green contrast to the deep blue of the lake. The park's diverse habitats extend beyond the reach of its trees. Alpine meadows dotted with wildflowers provide a kaleidoscope of colors in the warmer months, while marshes and springs offer a water source to the wildlife. Each of these unique ecosystems plays a role in supporting the park's complex web of life. Wildlife Residents of Crater Lake National Park Oregon From the tiny pikas that dart among rock piles to the stately Roosevelt elk roaming the meadows, the park is alive with creatures great and small. Birds of prey like bald eagles and ospreys can be seen soaring above, scanning the waters for fish, while Clark's nutcrackers fill the air with their distinctive calls. At dusk, you might spot a black bear ambling through the underbrush or hear the howl of a coyote in the distance. It's not just the land dwellers that captivate the park's visitors. Crater Lake National Park Oregon itself is home to two species of fish: the Kokanee salmon and the rainbow trout. These fish were introduced to the lake over a century ago and continue to thrive in the clear, cold waters. Anglers might find a quiet spot along the lake area to cast a line, but it's important to remember that fishing regulations are in place to maintain the delicate balance of this ecosystem. PlayCrater Lake National Park Crater Lake: Why It Captivates Visitors Imagine standing at the rim of a vast, impossibly blue lake, enclosed by sheer cliffs and silent forests. This is Crater Lake National Park, a place of awe-inspiring beauty and profound natural splendor. Visual Splendor: Crystal-Clear Waters and Panoramic Views Photo by mlle_farfalle on Pixabay The first glimpse of Crater Lake is often one that stays with visitors forever. Its waters, some of the clearest on earth, reflect a vivid blue that seems almost surreal. This clarity is due to the lake being primarily fed by snow and rain, with little to no impurities entering the water..... Read More... Read the full article