The Klamath River is flowing free now - CalTrout

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

The Klamath River Flows Free!
The Klamath River is free flowing for the first time in over one hundred years! Today, the cofferdam was broken at the former Iron Gate Dam site, marking the completion of the construction phase of the largest dam removal and river restoration project in U.S. history. The road to dam removal was long, and we have only arrived here today thanks to the unwavering advocacy of the Klamath River peoples.

Dam removal unlocks access to hundreds of miles of historic habitat for native salmon and steelhead, improves water quality for humans and non-humans alike, and marks a step towards restoring a place critical to the cultural life-ways of Indigenous peoples who have lived along the river since time immemorial.

What happens now that the dams are out? As fish begin to return to waters that have been inaccessible for over a century, CalTrout and our project team will be ready to monitor fish migration and assess the efficacy of this monumental restoration effort. Dive into our blog to see how CalTrout is celebrating this incredible milestone and spearheading the next chapter of habitat restoration in the Klamath!

[tcorfey]

Forgive my ignorance but doesn't the Klamath still have two dams in Oregon, the dams in Keno and in Klamath falls?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Exactly.....

I guess that the gradient is very gradual up there and they wanted to save the iconic Klamath Lake?

I believe they opened up 400 miles of river that will add more water for spawning and fishing.

I will be 80 in March so I don't think that in this lifetime I will ever see that wonderful river again.




I was fortunate to start fishing the Klamath River in the 1960s with my best friend, Joe Shirshac.

We got to fish almost the entire length of the river over the past 50 years.

We hiked down into the canyons for years and later jet-boated the lower river.

I have so many memories of fishing the Klamath and Trinity Rivers.

I feel good about the dams starting to be taken down, worldwide, in my lifetime.


Hopefully, my grandchildren and their children will be able to fish the Klamath in the future.

[BumpBailey]

I am pretty sure that there are ladders at the two other locations in Keno and at UKL.

[tcorfey]

I know they have fish ladders at those two locations, I don't know if they are in working order, guess we will find out...