After the removal of dams, salmon are expected to have unrestricted access to the Klamath River.

Salmon will soon be able to migrate freely up the Klamath River and its tributaries, marking a significant milestone in the watershed near the California-Oregon border. The largest dam removal project in American history is reaching completion.

This week, excavators will destroy rock dams that have been obstructing water flow upstream on two rivers. Two embankments, Iron Gate and Copco No. 1, which were almost completely removed, will now allow the river to flow freely through its historic channel, providing salmon access to vital habitat just in time for the fall king salmon season.

“Seeing the river return to its original course and the dams removed bodes well for our future,” said Leaf Hillman, a ceremonial leader for the Karuk people who have been advocating for Klamath dam removal for over 25 years. This is crucial for the tribe and others in the region.

The demolition precedes the anticipated completion of the removal of four massive dams on the Klamath River by about a month. This is part of a national movement to restore rivers to their natural state and revive ecosystems for fish and wildlife.

Since February, over 2,000 dams have been removed in the United States, with many removed in the past 25 years, according to the environmental group American Rivers, including dams on the Elwha River in Washington state and Condit Dam on the White Salmon River, a tributary of the Columbia River.

“Now is when the healing process truly begins for the river,” said Joshua Chenoweth, a senior ecologist with the Yurok Tribe, who has long advocated for dam removal and river restoration. “Removing the dams allows the river to naturally restore itself.”

The Klamath River, once a prominent salmon-producing region, saw a drastic decline in fish populations due to dams built by PacifiCorp between 1918 and 1962. These dams disrupted the river’s natural flow and impacted the salmon’s life cycle.

Efforts to remove the dams intensified after a bacterial outbreak in 2002 killed thousands of fish, mainly Chinook salmon, prompting tribes and environmental groups to push for action. The dam removal plan was approved in 2022.

Following the removal of the smallest dam, Copko 2, workers drained the reservoirs of the other three dams and began dismantling their structures in March.

Removing the dams on the Klamath River will not significantly impact electricity supply, as the dams produce less than 2 percent of PacificCorp’s energy capacity, enough for around 70,000 homes. While hydroelectric power is considered clean and renewable, environmental groups and tribes have targeted large dams in the Western U.S. due to their negative impact on fish and river ecosystems.

The project’s cost of approximately $500 million will be covered by taxpayers and Pacific Command funds.

The timeline for the salmon’s return and the river’s recovery remains uncertain. There have been reports of salmon at the river’s mouth beginning to migrate. Michael Belchik, a senior water policy analyst for the Yurok Tribe, anticipates the salmon passing through Iron Gate Dam soon.

“We can expect to see early signs of recovery,” he said. “I believe we’ll witness fish swimming over the dam, possibly this year or certainly by next year.”

There are two small upstream dams on the Klamath River that allow salmon to pass through fish ladders, enabling them to overcome the dam barriers.

Mark Brantham, CEO of the Klamath River Restoration Authority overseeing the project, pointed out that it took roughly a decade for the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe to resume fishing after the Elwha River dam removal.

“The impacts on fish recovery are uncertain,” he stated. “It will take time to undo the damage and restore the river system after a century of impact.”