In what has been a decades long saga, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently approved the removal of four dams on the Klamath River by issuing a License Surrender Order for the Lower Klamath River Hydroelectric Project. This will be the largest dam removal project in US history. The primary expected benefit of removing the dams is restoring the Chinook and Coho Salmon runs by expanding spawning area upstream of the dams and allowing unobstructed passage downstream to the ocean. Pre-construction begins in spring 2023 with Copco dam #2 scheduled to be removed in late summer 2023 and the remaining 3 dams removed by October 2024. Hopefully this will bring a brighter future for future generations of Native Americans, anglers and all who benefit from a healthy river system!
Press Release:
https://klamathrenewal.org/ferc-approves-license-surrender-and-decommissioning-of-the-lower-klamath-project-dams/
Article:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/17/us-dam-removal-endangered-salmon-klamath-river
Posted on November 28th, 2022