California’s enormous Klamath Dam removal project , the likes of which has never been seen on Earth, is now complete — and “ahead of schedule and on budget,” no less.
“This is a monumental achievement — not just for the Klamath River but for our entire state, nation, and planet,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement . “By taking down these outdated dams, we are giving salmon and other species a chance to thrive once again, while also restoring an essential lifeline for tribal communities who have long depended on the health of the river.”
The fight to remove dams along the Klamath began over two decades ago, when poor water quality and river flows caused tens of thousands of the river’s fish, mostly Chinook salmon, to die in a massive fish kill in 2002. For thousands of years, Chinook salmon have been a fundamental source of physical, spiritual and economic sustenance to tribal communities throughout the Klamath Basin.
After the fish kill, tribes like the Yurok and Karuk began a fierce advocacy campaign that insisted that removing the dams is a necessary step toward reviving the original ecosystems, migratory routes and spawning grounds of the salmon. A plan to begin the dam removal process was approved by federal regulators in 2022…