Image of the Week: Klamath River Dam Removal

The largest dam removal project in the history of the United States reached a major milestone at the end of August 2024 when crews demolished the last of four dams on the Klamath River, near the California-Oregon border. The Klamath River, flowing from the high desert interior of Oregon and through the redwood forests of California, once produced large runs of salmon and trout. However, the construction of hydroelectric dams, beginning in 1918, blocked fish migration, encroached on Indigenous culture, and impacted water quality. For more than 20 years, tribal and environmental groups have advocated for the removal of the four PacifiCorp-owned dams—Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, J.C. Boyle, and Iron Gate—to restore the river to its natural state. 

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