A New Beginning for Salmon and Steelhead
In a monumental moment for conservation and river restoration, the Klamath River is flowing free for the first time in over a century. The removal of the four hydroelectric dams—Iron Gate, Copco 1, Copco 2, and J.C. Boyle—marks the largest river restoration project in U.S. history. After decades of effort, collaboration, and advocacy, the Klamath River is set to heal, and with it, the salmon and steelhead populations that have been blocked from their spawning grounds for over 100 years.
A Coalition for Change
The removal of the Klamath dams was made possible by a wide coalition of stakeholders, including environmental groups, indigenous tribes, fishing communities, government agencies, and private organizations. Key players like California Trout (CalTrout), Trout Unlimited (TU), the Yurok and Karuk Tribes, and many others worked tirelessly to make this vision a reality. For years, these entities pushed for the restoration of the river, highlighting the dams’ devastating impact on water quality, fish populations, and tribal cultural practices.
Brain Johnson, Senior Policy Advisor, Western Water & Climate with Trout Unlimited, describes the collective efforts, stating, “Big things happen when committed people decide that failure is not an option. This massive restoration effort would not have been possible without a diverse coalition of people from the Native American tribes, conservation organizations, irrigators, and government agencies all coming together for the river, the fish, and the people who depend on them.”
A River Ready to Heal
The Klamath River was once one of the most productive salmon rivers on the West Coast, supporting thriving populations of Chinook, coho, and steelhead. Before the dams, the river saw runs of up to 500,000 Chinook salmon each year. However, with the construction of the dams, salmon and steelhead were cut off from over 400 miles of their historic spawning habitat, leading to drastic population declines.
The removal of these dams offers hope for the river’s recovery. According to Curtis Knight, CalTrout Executive Director, “The free-flowing river will offer crucial access to upstream cold-water habitats that are necessary for healthy salmon and steelhead populations.” This access is expected to be especially important as climate change continues to warm rivers along the West Coast.
UC Davis researchers, alongside CalTrout, are already studying the effects of the dam removal, analyzing salmon populations before and after the dams came down. Their work is critical in understanding how quickly fish will recolonize the newly available habitat and how the ecosystem as a whole will recover. As UC Davis notes, “The dam removals provide a unique opportunity to measure how wild salmon respond to restored access to high-quality habitat.”
Monitoring efforts are already underway to track the recovery of the river and its fish populations. CalTrout has launched an extensive monitoring program to assess water quality, fish migration, and habitat restoration in the newly freed river. This data will be crucial in understanding how the river responds over time, and it will guide future conservation efforts to ensure the long-term health of the Klamath. The first wild salmon to pass the former location of Iron Gate Dam is expected soon—a moment that will mark the beginning of a new era for the river.
Hopes for the Future
Named American River’s 2024 River of the Year, the full recovery of the Klamath will take time, but the potential for a resurgence of salmon and steelhead is real. Experts are optimistic that in the coming decades, we could see populations of salmon rebounding to sustainable numbers, providing new opportunities for recreational, commercial, and tribal fishing.
For indigenous tribes like the Yurok and Karuk, whose cultures are deeply connected to the river and its salmon, the removal of the dams is more than just a victory for fish—it’s a reclamation of heritage and identity.
The Klamath River is on its way to becoming whole again, and its revival is a testament to what can happen when diverse groups come together to fight for a common goal: the health of a river and the future of its fish.
For more information, check out the full stories from Trout Unlimited , CalTrout , and UC Davis’s salmon research . For the latest on the restoration efforts, watch this video from Resource Environmental Solutions.
