Un-Dam the Klamath facts for kids

The Un-Dam the Klamath movement was a big effort in the United States. Its main goal was to remove several dams from the lower Klamath River. These dams blocked salmon, steelhead, and other fish from reaching their natural homes upstream. This area had hundreds of miles of perfect places for fish to lay their eggs. The dams also caused many problems for Native American communities. These included the Hupa, Karuk, Klamath, and Yurok tribes.

Four large hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in California and Oregon were targeted. These were Copco #1, Copco #2, Iron Gate, and J.C. Boyle. The movement gained a lot of attention after a sad event in 2002. At least 33,000 salmon and steelhead fish died in the Klamath River. They could not reach their spawning grounds because of the dams.

People argued that removing the dams would help in many ways. It would stop harmful toxic algal blooms. It would also increase the number of salmon and make fish healthier. Removing the dams would protect the traditional ways of life for tribal members. It would also help the important fishing industry on the West Coast. Seven types of fish were in danger because of the dams. Removing the dams was also seen as a good economic choice.

Some groups did not want the dams removed. These included landowners near the dam reservoirs and companies like PacifiCorp. PacifiCorp first agreed to dam removal in 2009. But after many years of talks, they stepped back. This happened when the government said they should pay for the removal. Supporters of dam removal said that some communities were treated unfairly. Their concerns were not heard as much as others.

The Copco #2 dam was removed in 2023. Demolition of the Iron Gate Dam started in May 2024. The last dam was fully removed in October 2024. This project is now the largest dam removal project in the world. It has given fish back access to their historical cold-water homes.

The Klamath River: A Story of Dams and Hope

For thousands of years, the Hupa, Karuk, Klamath, and Yurok tribes fished along the Klamath River. The river was central to their lives and culture.

Why the Dams Were a Problem

In the early 1900s, big changes came to the Klamath River. In 1906, the first canal for the Klamath Irrigation Project was finished. This project used river water for farming. By the 1930s, almost all salmon in the upper river were gone. This meant that both commercial fishermen and Yurok tribal members were stopped from fishing.

The first dam for electricity, Copco #1, was built in 1918. It did not take water for farms. But it stopped fish from swimming upstream. Copco #2 dam was finished in 1925. This dried up a part of the river. Two more dams, J.C. Boyle (1958) and Iron Gate (1964), were also built. These dams further reduced places for fish to live. They also harmed the traditional ways of life and culture of Indigenous people. A member of the Karuk Tribe, Ron Reed, remembered that the river provided food for his family until the last dam was built in the 1960s.

A Long History with the River

Early Changes and Challenges

In 1978, a court decision stopped tribes from fishing. The Yurok had been trying to get their fishing rights back since the 1930s. This decision led to protests from the tribe. Federal agents and police responded strongly between 1978 and 1979. There were difficult situations with tribal members. In one case, agents arrived at a birthday party near the river and used their clubs. In 1979, another court decision helped. It said that tribes had rights to half of the salmon catch. It also said they should help manage the fisheries. This brought an end to the conflict. In the 1980s, too much logging by settlers caused problems. Many traditional foods like game and acorns became scarce or were destroyed.

How Dams Affected Health and Culture

The dams caused a big drop in fish for Indigenous families. This meant they had to eat more store-bought foods. These foods were often cheap and less healthy. It became harder for people to find jobs and stay healthy. Diana Hartel, who studied these changes, explained that losing the river's life brought more poverty. It also led to more health problems. She noted that people who were disconnected from nature could cause great harm.

A Journey of Hope: The Canoe Trip

In the summer of 2025, a group of Indigenous teenagers made a special journey. They traveled 300 miles down the river by canoe for 30 days. This was the first time in over 100 years that anyone had paddled the whole river. They trained for two years with an organization called Rios to Rivers. For the last three days, people from other Indigenous groups joined them. These groups were also fighting for their rivers in places like New Zealand, Chile, and China. The journey ended at the Pacific Ocean with a healing ceremony.

The Fight to Remove the Dams

The Big Fish Kill of 2002

The 2002 Klamath River fish kill was a very important event. At least 33,000 fish died, and some thought it was over 70,000. This event helped many people understand why the dams needed to go. It also stopped companies from getting new permits to keep the dams. Craig Tucker, a consultant for the Karuk tribe, said the fish kill happened when the dam permits were expiring. He said it really showed why the dams had to be removed. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that water being sent to farmers caused the fish kill.

Asking for Permission to Keep Dams (Relicensing)

In 2005, PacifiCorp asked the government for new permits for the four dams. This would have let them operate the dams for another 50 years. Environmental groups, tribal groups, and others strongly opposed this. They did not want the dams to stay.

Movement groups tried to talk to Warren Buffett, whose company owned PacifiCorp. They asked him to stop the relicensing. In one meeting, Merv George Jr. (Hupa) and his wife Wendy spoke. Wendy told an image of Buffett on a screen, "Sir, I have heard you are kind. The dams are killing the fish and destroying my people's way of life." Buffett then explained how utility companies work. People wondered why he seemed so uncaring.

In 2008, a California water board meeting noted serious concerns. It said that Coho, chinook, steelhead, Pacific lamprey, and green sturgeon could disappear forever if the dams stayed. Some groups who wanted the dams to stay did not listen to the Indigenous peoples. They were proud of how they had used the river for power and farming.

PacifiCorp stopped trying to get new permits for the dams in 2009. They decided that fixing the dams would be too expensive.

Working Towards an Agreement

Yurok fishermen on the Klamath River (2011)

On February 19, 2010, many groups signed an agreement called the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA). This included government officials, PacifiCorp, and state governors.

In 2013, the U.S. Department of the Interior suggested removing the four dams. They also planned to spend $1 billion to help salmon return. Lawmakers tried to pass bills to support this plan.

In 2017, a federal judge agreed to remove the dams. The judge also approved a plan by tribal scientists. This plan would reduce fish diseases. These diseases had affected 90% of young salmon between 2014 and 2015.

The U.S. Congress did not pass the law needed for the KBRA by the deadline in 2016. So, a new agreement was made. This was the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA), signed in 2016. This new agreement created the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC). This group would take over the dam permits from PacifiCorp.

In April 2020, the California Water Board approved key permits for dam removal. They believed removing the dams would make drinking water better. It would also help endangered salmon and other river creatures. However, the project still needed approval from another government group, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

The Dams Come Down!

On July 17, 2020, FERC said PacifiCorp had to stay involved during the dam removal. They had to be responsible for any extra costs. Because of this, PacifiCorp pulled out of the agreement. The dam removal process slowed down again.

In October 2020, a news story covered the movement. It reported that after ten years of talks, the Yurok tribe wondered if the dams would ever really come down. Salmon numbers were at their lowest ever. Yurok tribal members explained that the salmon could not last much longer.

By February 25, 2022, FERC released its final plan. One of the four dams was removed in 2023. The other dams were removed in 2024.

January 2024 was a big moment. Workers started to release water that had been held back for a century. Starting with the Iron Gate Dam, three dams were taken out over the next year.

Bringing the River Back to Life

Planting for the Future

Almost $70 million was made available for the Klamath Basin Restoration project. This funding came from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Over five years, $162 million was invested to restore the ecosystem and help local economies. This is the largest river restoration in U.S. history. Contractors and local tribes planted billions of seeds. They planted shrubs and trees like Klamath plum, buckbrush, serviceberry, and Oregon ash. The plan included 96 different plant types. These included yampah, lomatium, mugwort, and Asclepias, plus tens of thousands of oak trees. The goal was to plant 250,000 trees and shrubs and over 13 billion seeds. They also worked to remove unwanted plants like medusahead and Himalayan blackberry vines.

Helping Fish and Wildlife Thrive

The Klamath Integrated Fish plan brought together many groups. These included the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and over 100 other organizations. They worked to restore and watch over native fish. Special focus was given to chinook salmon and coho salmon, steelhead, bull trout, redband trout, Pacific lamprey, Lost river sucker (C'waam), shortnose sucker (Koptu), green sturgeon, and eulachon. Barry McCovey, director of the Yurok fisheries, said the recovery might take longer than his lifetime. But he noted that the tribes' long efforts were for their grandchildren and future generations.

Salmon Return Home

Salmon are very important to the Yurok tribe, especially for their art. Tori McConnell, the 2023 Miss Indian World, said, "Salmon always gave us the physical and mental strength to carry out these arts." She explained that the local environment is very special. Her spirit is part of the water, rocks, willow, salmon, deer, and the way the air smells or feels on a mountain.

On October 3, 2024, the first salmon was seen by sonar moving past the former dam sites to Oregon. This was the first time since the dams were built.

Art Inspired by the River

Lucy Raven created a moving image art piece called Murderers Bar (2025). It showed the dam removal and the rush of water to the Pacific Ocean. The art used aerial film and lidar/sonar animation. This piece combined sculpture, moving image, and stories about the ecological environment.