Loading… How the Klamath Dams Came Down: A Triumph of Tribal Nations
By Anita Hofschneider and Jake Bittle
Illustrations by Jackie Fawn
March 19, 2025
Last year, after decades of fighting, tribal nations in Oregon and California achieved a historic victory – the removal of four dams on the Klamath River, the largest dam removal in U.S. history. This monumental decision was the result of years of dedication, perseverance, and collaboration between the tribes, environmental groups, and government agencies. This is the story of how the Klamath Dams came down.
Part 1: Fish and Paper
The Klamath River, which flows through southern Oregon and northern California, has been a vital source of food and culture for the Karuk, Yurok, and Klamath tribes for thousands of years. However, in the early 1900s, the federal government began constructing dams on the river to generate hydroelectric power and provide irrigation for farmlands. These dams disrupted the natural flow of the river, preventing salmon from reaching their spawning grounds and devastating the tribes’ way of life.
For decades, the tribes fought for their rights to the river and its fish, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. The dams continued to operate, and the salmon population continued to decline. In 2002, the Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the dams, shut off water to the Klamath River to protect the farmers’ irrigation needs, resulting in the largest fish kill in U.S. history. This was the final straw for the tribes, who knew they had to take action to save their way of life.
Part 2: A Business Decision
In 2010, the Klamath River Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) was signed, bringing together the tribes, farmers, environmental groups, and government agencies in an unprecedented effort to find a solution that would benefit all parties. The KBRA proposed the removal of four dams on the Klamath River, along with other measures to restore the river’s health and protect the tribes’ rights to the fish.
However, the KBRA faced opposition from some farmers and politicians, who argued that removing the dams would harm the local economy and threaten their way of life. The tribes faced an uphill battle in convincing these groups that the dams’ removal was necessary for the river’s restoration and the tribes’ survival.
But the tribes did not give up. They continued to educate and engage with the community, sharing their cultural and spiritual connection to the river and its fish. They also emphasized the economic benefits of a restored river, such as increased tourism and recreational opportunities. Slowly but surely, minds began to change, and support for the dam removal grew.
Part 3: A Historic Victory
In 2024, after years of negotiations and advocacy, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), a nonprofit organization formed by the KBRA, received the necessary permits to begin the dam removal process. The KRRC hired Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., a construction company, to carry out the project.
On October 6, 2024, a ceremony was held to mark the beginning of the dam removal. Tribal leaders, environmental activists, and government officials gathered to witness this historic moment. The first blast of dynamite was set off, and the J.C. Boyle Dam was breached, allowing the river to flow freely for the first time in over a century.
Over the next few months, the remaining three dams were also removed, and the Klamath River was once again a free-flowing river. The salmon, which had been blocked for so long, could now swim upriver to their spawning grounds, bringing new life to the river and the tribes.
Part 4: A New Beginning
The removal of the Klamath Dams was not just a victory for the tribes; it was a triumph for all who had fought for the river’s restoration. It showed that when different groups come together and work towards a common goal, anything is possible.
Today, the Klamath River is thriving, and the salmon population is steadily increasing. The tribes are once again able to fish and practice their cultural traditions, and the local economy is benefiting from the river’s restoration. The Klamath Dams may be gone, but their removal has opened up a new chapter for the Klamath River and its people.
In Conclusion
