More than one hundred salmon and even a few steelhead are now spawning in Klamath River tributaries above the recently dismantled PacifiCorp dams for the first time in 60 and 112 years, according to a statement and video from the Yurok Tribe. Salmon are spawning in the mainstem of the river above the dams also.
“It is extremely exciting to see fish begin to recolonize upper river and its tributaries,” the Tribe stated. “Although we are already seeing benefits from dam removal, it will take several years for salmon and steelhead runs to recover from a century of dams. Revegetation and habitat restoration projects are ongoing in the former reservoir footprints.”
“With the dams out of the way, the Yurok Tribe, other local tribes and conservation groups are working on the second phase of a coordinated effort to restore the upper basin. For several decades, anadromous fish species did not factor into natural resources management and infrastructure development decisions above the former dams. These actions negatively impacted parts of what were historically the most productive spawning streams, such as Shovel Creek. With funds from NOAA, the Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe, Shasta Nation, Modoc Nation and Klamath Tribes of Oregon, in partnership with Trout Unlimited, are currently working on plans to holistically restore sections of multiple tributaries in the coming years,” the Tribe concluded.
Click here to see the video: www.facebook.com/…
A total of 5,121 adult Chinook salmon have been observed on Klamath River tributaries between 8/28/2024 and 10/28/2024, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife adult fish count on Nov. 1. Data is preliminary and some spawning may occur downstream of counting stations.
The Shasta River count is 4,436, 86.6% of the total. Bogus Creek is 266, 5.2% of the total; Scott River is 239, 4.7% of the total; Jenny Creek is 144, 2.8% of the total; and Shovel Creek is 36, 0.7% of the total.
Meanwhile, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), Tribes, NGOs, and public agencies are now collaborating on monitoring fish returns post-Klamath Dam Removal, according to a press release from the KRRC:
"The removal of four dams from the Klamath River along the California-Oregon border, the largest dam removal project in U.S. history, concluded last month. The primary goal of the project was to support volitional fish passage for salmon and other species past the former dam sites. Klamath River Renewal Corporation and its restoration contractor, Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), are collaborating with Tribes, nonprofit conservation organizations, and state and federal agencies to monitor, track, and measure the impacts of Klamath River dam removal and related restoration efforts on migratory fish populations.
"A large and diverse project team installed a SONAR station at the former Iron Gate Dam site to count how many fish pass through and to determine what anadromous species are migrating into the reconnected habitat. Tangle netting will be used to facilitate fish tagging and provide more information about which species are migrating past the SONAR station. A network of radio telemetry stations installed upstream will help track tagged salmon and steelhead movements throughout the Upper Basin.
"The Karuk Tribe Water Quality Department along with the Yurok Tribe Environmental Program and USGS are the primary subcontractors responsible for pre- and post-dam removal monitoring of sediment and water quality. This group, along with KRRC and RES, has been working together to monitor and measure water quality conditions in the Klamath River since 2018. The Karuk Tribe has provided viewing of continuous monitoring data via its water quality website (https://waterquality.karuk.us/Data)."
Learn more about the project at: klamathrenewal.org
On October 16, for the first time in 112 years, biologists from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) observed a fall-run Chinook salmon returning to spawn in the Klamath Basin in Oregon. The fish was spotted in Spencer Creek, a tributary to the Klamath River above the former J.C. Boyle Dam.
That was the first anadromous fish to return to the Klamath Basin in Oregon since 1912 when the first of four PacifiCorp hydroelectric dams was constructed, blocking migration to historic habitat, according to the ODFW.
This salmon traveled over 230 miles from the Pacific Ocean to reach Spencer Creek only a few weeks after Klamath River dams were removed to ensure fish passage from California to Oregon.
