Work is now underway to remove the third of four dams that nearly wiped out salmon populations on the Klamath River in Oregon and California, causing the largest fish kill in U.S. history.
Kaluk elder Leif Hillman and his wife Lisa were on hand this month to watch the first shovelful of dirt removed from the top of the earthen dam. They and other tribal fish and water protectors have fought for years to destroy the dams that nearly wiped out their cultural contacts and one of their main food sources.
“We’re going to purge all the bad stuff from the downstream and upstream ends of the world,” Hillman said. “We are making this place new again to serve all spirit beings, human and non-human ancestors and associates on this planet.”
Iron Gate Dam was the last dam built to provide electricity to Northern California in the early 20th century. The reservoir behind the 173-foot-tall dam, which was commissioned in 1962, was drained in January along with other reservoirs. The Klamath River Restoration Corporation, a nonprofit organization in charge of the nation’s largest dam removal project to date, chose to drain the reservoir in the middle of winter, in between fish migrations.
The Arizona Republic, a member of the USA TODAY Network, visited Klamath last year and heard a series of stories about dam damage and efforts to restore wildlife habitat and ancestral homelands.
How will the landscape change if the dam is removed?
Tribes and environmentalists have fought for decades to have the dam removed as part of a watershed-wide restoration effort. After a 2002 fish kill caused by toxic algae flowing into the river from a reservoir that served as a blue-green algae nursery, the tribe “removed the Klamath dam” and removed the Yurok and Hoopa waters and lands. The fight to restore sanity intensified. The , Kaluk, Shasta, and Klamath peoples have lived and managed it for thousands of years.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the dam’s removal in 2022, and demolition began in 2023. The first dam, Kopko II, collapsed in mid-2023. Demolition of Copco I began in March. FERC has approved early start of the Iron Gate removal process.
The last dam, JC Boyle, is scheduled to burst this fall, just in time for Chinook salmon season.
Once all the dams are gone and the Klamath River is free-flowing again, salmon and other fish will once again seek out their ancient spawning waters. Water quality, always a problem in Northern California and Southern Oregon due to high natural phosphorus levels, will improve as free-flowing water carries away nutrients. Restoration of wetlands and juvenile fish habitat is also underway.
Hillman acknowledged that the dam and reservoir are on ancestral lands of the Shasta Indian Nation. The 300-member tribe sought the return of 2,200 acres of land that was once submerged. This land was occupied by his prominent fiefdom in the early 1900s.
“They were generous enough to let us do this work,” he said.
“It’s pretty amazing.”
Mark Bramson, CEO of Klamath River Renewal Corporation, said it is a challenge and an honor to be in charge of such a large-scale operation.
“We are simply standing on the shoulders of our tribal friends and partners who have advocated for this project for decades and worked for this day for so long,” he said. Bramson said he values his relationships and partnerships with tribes.
Longtime fish guardians like Dania Rose Colegrove of the Hoopa tribe also posted their gratitude on social media.
“Tears of great satisfaction. The demonstration begins here again today. Undum the Klamath. Iron Gate Begin!!”
“For us, this day was always inevitable,” Hillman said. The tribe has endured setbacks, struggles and hardships, including some who have said “no” and walked away from negotiating partners, he said, “but there was no answer other than success, the only thing possible for us. .
“I never thought I’d live to see this day, but it’s so amazing to be able to see it because I’m still alive.”
Debra Kroll reports on indigenous communities at the intersection of climate, culture, and commerce in Arizona and the Intermountain West. To reach the crawl, debra.krol@azcentral.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @debkrol. Our coverage of Indigenous issues at the intersection of climate, culture and commerce is supported by the Catena Foundation.
