Klamath River Fund

Klamath Dam Removal Efforts

The Klamath dam removal is the largest dam removal project and largest river restoration project in U.S. history, with monumental impacts for river and ecosystem health, economic and workforce development, revitalization of Tribal and rural communities, and restorative justice to Tribes and Indigenous people who have lived along the river since time immemorial. Led by the Yurok and Karuk Tribes in partnership with nonprofit organizations, lawyers, scientists, and activists, the project will reopen 400 miles of habitat for coho salmon, Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and other threatened fish species, and allow the lower Klamath River to flow freely for the first time in more than a century. 

The 257-mile-long Klamath River was once the third largest salmon-producing river on the U.S. West Coast, and an important source of food for Tribes across the basin. Dams, combined with over-allocation of limited water supplies and climate-driven mega-drought, have contributed to declines in salmon and steelhead abundance. This has impacted Tribal, recreational, and commercial fisheries and the communities and economies they support.

In April, the Pacific Fishery Management Council recommended canceling the 2024 California salmon season due to plummeting Chinook populations. This recommendation mirrors their decision in 2023 when they also advised closing the fisheries. Unfortunately, this closure had significant impacts on Tribes and commercial fishing businesses, resulting in the loss of approximately 23,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in revenue for California.