Restoring the Klamath River in Oregon and California

The Klamath River once supported the third-largest salmon run on the West Coast. Today, salmon and steelhead runs are a fraction of their historic abundance, with some near extinction.

In November 2008, PacifiCorp reached agreement in principle to remove their four mainstem Klamath dams in 2020 and pay up to $200 million in removal and restoration costs.  A final dam removal agreement is expected by June 2009.  The removal of four dams on the Klamath would put the river’s legendary salmon and steelhead runs on the road to recovery, and would help end decades-long disputes over river management in the basin. Learn more (PDF) 

Background information

• Questions and Answers About the Klamath River Agreement (PDF)
• Summary of Klamath Dam Features (PDF)
• Map of the Klamath Basin (PDF)
• US Fish and Wildlife Service, Yreka Office
• Frequently Asked Questions About Dam Removal (PDF)
• Our National Dam Removal Efforts 

Reports

Dam Removal Engineering/Technical

• Reservoir Drawdown Alternatives Analysis -- Gathard (2007)
• Klamath Dam Removal Study -- California Coastal Conservancy (Nov. 2006)
• Excerpts of FERC Final EIS related to Dam Removal (Nov. 2007)

Economics

• Study: Economic Modeling of Relicensing and Decommissioning Options for the Klamath Basin Hydroelectric Project -- CA Energy Commission & Dept of the Interior (Nov. 2006)
• FERC Final EIS Economic Analysis (Nov. 2007)
• FERC Estimates of Klamath Dam Removal Costs (Nov. 2007) 
• Preliminary Economic Assessment of Dam Removal: The Klamath River -- Sarah A. Kruse, Ph.D., Ecotrust (2006)

FERC Final Environmental Impact Statement (Nov. 2007) 

• Ch. 1 -- Purpose and Need
• Ch. 2 -- Proposed Action and Alternatives
• Ch. 3 -- Environmental Consequences
• Ch. 4 -- Developmental (economic) Analysis
• Ch. 5 -- Staff Conclusions
• Ch. 6 -- Literature Cited
• Ch. 7 -- List of Preparers

Fisheries

• Effects of Sediment Release Following Dam Removal on the Aquatic Biota of the Klamath River -- Stillwater Sciences for California Coastal Conservancy (Jan. 2009)
• Cyanotoxin Accumulation in Fish and Freshwater Mussels of the Klamath River -- State Water Resources Control Board (Nov. 2008)
• Biological Rationale for Reservoir Drawdown Timing -- Stillwater Sciences (2007)
• Assessment of Fish Passage Systems for the Klamath Hydro Project -- Steward and Assoc. for Yurok Tribe (2007)
• Salmon Reintroduction Plan for Klamath River Basin -- Klamath and Yurok Tribes (2006)
• Distribution of Ceratomyxa shasta (Myxozoa) and Habitat Preference of the Polychaete Host, Manayunkia speciosa in the Klamath River -- Stocking (2006)
• Habitat conditions above Upper Klamath Lake -- Huntington and Dunsmoor for Klamath Tribes (2006)
• Conditions of Upper Klamath Lake and Migratory Corridor for Salmon -- Klamath Tribes (2006)
• Historical Distribution of Anadromous Fish in the Klamath River Basin -- Hamilton et al (2005)
• Estimates of anadromous fish production above Iron Gate Dam -- Huntington (2004)

Sediment

• Klamath River Dam Removal Study: Sediment Transport DREAM-1 Simulation -- Stillwater Sciences for California Coastal Conservancy (Oct. 2008)
• Summary of Reservoir Sediment Analysis  -- California Coastal Conservancy (Sept. 2006)
• Reservoir Sediment Sampling Plan  -- Gathard Engineering (June 2006)
• Reservoir Sediment Analysis Results -- Gathard Engineering (Sept. 2006)
• Downstream Sediment Deposition After Dam Removal -- Stillwater Sciences (May 2004)
• Update to Downstream Sediment Deposition Study -- Stillwater Sciences (Sept. 2006)
• Reservoir Sediment Toxicity Analysis Results -- Shannon and Wilson, Inc.

Water Quality

• Dam Removal and Klamath River Water Quality: A Synthesis of the Current Conceptual Understanding and an Assessment of Data Gaps -- Stillwater Sciences for California Coastal Conservancy (Dec. 2008)
• Causes and Effects of Water Quality Conditions in the Upper Klamath River -- Kier and Associates (2007)
• Causes and Effects of Nutrient Conditions in the Upper Klamath River -- PacifiCorp (2006)
• Longitudinal Analysis of Klamath River Phytoplankton Data 2001-2004 -- Kier and AES for Yurok Tribe (2006)
• Summary of 2005 Toxic Microcystis aeruginosa Trends in Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs on the Klamath River, CA -- Karuk Tribe (2006)
• Nutrient and Hydrologic Loading to Iron Gate and Copco Reservoirs -- Karuk Tribe (2002)
• Water Quality and Nutrient Loading in the Klamath River Below Keno -- Campbell (2001)
• Water Quality and Nutrient Loading in the Klamath River Below Keno -- Campbell (1999)

Miscellaneous

• Final Klamath Agreement in Principle (Nov. 13, 2008)
• Dept of the Interior's Modified Terms, Conditions, and Prescriptions (Jan. 26, 2007)
• Assessment of Inundated Lands -- Ecotrust for Yurok Tribes (2006)
• Administrative Law Judge's Finding of Fact (Sept. 27, 2006)
• Historical Context of the Klamath Hydroelectric Project -- Kramer (2003)

What will a free-flowing Klamath River look like?

Using special computer modeling software, American Rivers has created 3-D photo-realistic visualizations that depict the Klamath River before, during, and after dam removal. We have extracted a series of movies and animations from the model landscape to help illustrate how the reservoirs will drain, how vegetation will return, and the Klamath River ecosystem will be restored.

View the visualizations