YREKA, Calif. — A group of tribal members, environmentalists, and others involved in a 20-year effort to eliminate four dams from the Klamath River at the California-Oregon border celebrated a significant milestone. One of their original banners, crafted with care by dedicated fish advocates, was displayed proudly.

The banner, showing salmon yearning to pass the first dam, bore the marks of its long journey — wrinkled and slightly damaged, yet the message remained clear: “Un-dam the Klamath now!”

That call to action was realized at the end of September when the last remnants of concrete were removed, concluding the world’s largest dam removal project. Approximately 500 individuals gathered in a meadow, around 10 miles south of the Klamath, to celebrate this achievement and anticipate the next steps in restoring an area comparable in size to West Virginia.

Leaf and Lisa Hillman, devoted fish advocates from the Karuk Tribe, expressed that the dam removals were a means of healing both the land and the communities.

“Removing these barriers has brought our communities together, uniting both our people and our ecosystems,” stated Leaf Hillman.

Restoration of a River

The Klamath River Basin experienced significant degradation due to over a century of poor management and injustices toward tribal populations. Dams were erected on the ancestral lands of the Shasta Nation, with modifications made to the Upper Klamath Basin for farming, resulting in high levels of phosphorus contaminating Upper Klamath Lake and eventually the lower river.

As a result, salmon and other fish species suffered from a drastic population decline of about 95%, prompting federal protections for certain salmon populations.

Klamath Chairman William Ray recounted that his tribe had caught their last salmon in the early 20th century after the Copco I dam obstructed the fish’s upstream migration for spawning.

This blockage resulted in a 25% loss in the tribe’s food resources. By 1984, the tribe was forced to cease fishing altogether as their primary fish species, the c’waam and koptu, fell victim to toxic conditions in Upper Klamath Lake and decreased water levels caused by agricultural water diversions.

The c’waam and koptu fish, both vital to the Klamath culture, were classified as endangered in 1988 and have not yet recovered.

As the only tribe in the basin with treaty rights, the Klamath Tribe has made several appeals to ensure enough water remains in Upper Klamath Lake to support these fish populations. However, these attempts have been largely unsuccessful, leading Ray to express deep concern over the risk of extinction.

Former Klamath Tribes Chairman Jeff Mitchell noted that his tribe began suffering from the impact of obstructed salmon migration long before the tribes downstream faced similar issues.

“They continued to fish for a time,” he mentioned, until a catastrophic fish die-off in 2002 galvanized the downstream tribes, leading to a coalition of the Yurok, Karuk, Hupa, and Klamath Tribes united in their fight for the removal of the dams.

After two decades of perseverance, protests, legal struggles, and even targeting Warren Buffett’s home, whose company owned the dams, an agreement was finally reached, initiating the dismantling process earlier this year.

The Arizona Republic, part of the YSL News Network, previously reported on the extensive damage caused by the dams and the ongoing efforts to restore both wildlife habitats and ancestral lands in the Klamath area.

Celebratory Moment for Salmon and Community

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley referred to the river’s restoration as “the biggest environmental moment of my life.”

He highlighted that the earlier Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement represented a consensus among basin residents for dam removals, but political challenges derailed it, requiring “activists and advocates to push for change.”

Now, he noted, salmon are returning to the Klamath River, a triumph celebrated by the local inhabitants.

“The advantages of dam removal are significant not only for nature but also for humanity,” remarked Leaf Hillman. Allowing nature to restore itself in turn strengthens human relationships with the environment.

“This movement is revitalizing our communities and cultures that have been nearly destroyed by the dams, pushing both the fish and ourselves to the brink of extinction,” Leaf stated.

“During our struggle, many dismissed our efforts as unrealistic,” Lisa Hillman shared. The conflict created division among people.

Some argued whether water should be allocated for fish or for human use. Over time, Lisa Hillman observed, their journey facilitated greater understanding and collaboration, transforming previously unattainable agreements into reality.

Karuk Chairman Russell “Buster” Attebery reminisced about his childhood, sharing that his family enjoyed fish meals at least four times a week.

“I believe my mom’s longevity—turning 97 next month—is a result of a nutritious diet,” he remarked. “Fishing was a source of pride for us; it was integral to our upbringing.”

However, Attebery pointed out that in the 1990s, salmon populations drastically decreased due to loss of their natural habitat.

“Three of us were out fishing the entire day and not one of us caught anything,” he recalled.

Thanks to the collaboration with other tribes and supporters, Attebery expressed relief: “I’m happy to know I won’t have to spend a whole day at the river without a catch.”

Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers emphasized the collective effort required to remove the Klamath dams: “No single person, tribe, state, or federal entity could have accomplished this alone,” he said. “We were told to abandon our efforts because it seemed impossible—but look at us now.”

Addressing skeptics of the project, Myers stated, “Just because you’re swimming against the current doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong path.”

Researchers also have found evidence suggesting that the first Chinook salmon has already begun to return upstream, past the site of Iron Gate, the most upstream dam.

Shasta Indian Nation to restore ancestral lands

The Shasta Indian Nation has been promised the return of 2,800 acres of land that were flooded under the Copco I reservoir. They will manage the restoration of over 1,000 acres of this land following a lease agreement with KRRC and a restoration deal with Resource Environmental Solutions, the firm dedicated to revitalizing these newly exposed areas.

The Shasta people plan to incorporate their cultural practices into the revitalization of the landscape, focusing on growing traditional foods for a food sovereignty initiative and other important cultural plants.

The lands, labeled “Parcel B,” were transferred to California and Oregon as part of the dam removal agreement. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the 300-member tribe will officially own the California side of the lands once the transfer is complete.

Originally, these lands belonged to the tribe, and one of their leaders, Chief Bogus Tom Smith, worked diligently to rebuild the community following the trauma from the California Gold Rush and the violence toward California tribes, including a genocidal assault during the years after statehood.

Unfortunately, the government seized the land under eminent domain when the construction of the dams began in the early 20th century.

The Shasta Indian Nation plans to collaborate with the Yurok Tribe, which has been actively involved in the restoration efforts.

The tribe also visited the old power station, which had been handed over to them by PacificCorp, the last dam operator. This facility will eventually be transformed into a center for tribal culture and education.

Shasta Cultural Preservation Officer Sami Jo Difuntorum, along with other tribal leaders and elders, were emotional as they witnessed the river flowing in its natural course for the first time in over a century. The river had been diverted to power large turbines that supplied electricity to Siskiyou County and parts of southern Oregon starting in the early 20th century.

Further efforts necessary to return more salmon

The recent celebration and lease agreement signified the conclusion of an important phase in river restoration, paving the way for a new focus: facilitating the salmon’s journey back to their historical spawning areas upstream of Upper Klamath Lake.

In August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration allocated $3 million for salmon restoration, as Merkley noted, along with an additional $11.5 million directed to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for improvements to fish passage systems at the remaining two dams along the river.

The Upper Klamath Basin is also in need of restoration. The draining of wetlands and the channelization of the Sprague River for cattle ranching and agriculture has significantly impacted the region. The wetlands of the Sprague used to filter out phosphorus, which now fuels the rapid growth of blue-green algae in Upper Klamath Lake.

This toxic algae has pushed the c’waam and koptu fish towards near-extinction, and the Klamath Tribes are engaged in significant efforts to protect and boost their populations.

Despite these challenges, at least one tribe remains optimistic about the Klamath’s fish population. Difuntorum of the Shasta tribe offered an opening prayer at the dam celebration and looked ahead, saying, “We will hold the welcome home salmon ceremony for the first time in decades this spring of 2025.”

Debra Krol covers Indigenous communities where climate, culture, and commerce intersect in Arizona and the Intermountain West. You can contact Krol at debra.krol@azcentral.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter @debkrol.

Support for coverage of Indigenous issues at the intersection of climate, culture, and commerce is provided by the Catena Foundation.