Dam removal unlocks access to hundreds of miles of historic habitat for native salmon and steelhead, improves water quality for humans and non-humans alike, and marks a step towards restoring a place critical to the cultural life-ways of Indigenous peoples who have lived along the river since time immemorial.
“I’m proud that CalTrout has been at the table pushing for this crucial and pivotal river restoration project to transpire, and it is so satisfying to share the experience with partners from fellow conservation organizations, government agencies, and most especially our Indigenous and tribal partners,” said Curtis Knight, Executive Director of California Trout. “Dam removal on the Klamath River is special not just because of its magnitude and impact, but because of all the people that came together to make this happen. We started this journey 24 years ago sitting at a negotiation table. Together this amazing community of committed people are pulling off the largest dam removal and restoration project in U.S. history.”
Although the construction phase of dam removal is expected to be completed by the end of September (some remaining riverside infrastructure is still being deconstructed), restoration of the land along the river and in key tributaries that were previously covered by the reservoirs will continue for several years. Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), the company contracted to oversee the restoration, is committed to remaining active in the basin until vegetation is successfully established and the newly restored habitat is on a positive ecological trajectory.
As fish begin to return to waters that have been inaccessible for over a century, we will be ready to monitor fish migration and assess the efficacy of this monumental restoration effort. In July 2024, CalTrout and our partners launched the Klamath River Monitoring Program to build our understand of dam removal including how fish repopulate newly opened habitat and how they recover from landscape level restoration. The project team consists of a diverse group of interests including tribes, governmental entities, and non-profits.
How many salmon and steelhead are moving into the newly accessible habitat? What time of year are they moving? Where are they going after entering the restored area? These are all questions that the project team will answer through this program.
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.