Federal Government Not Delivering
The Klamath River begins in southern Oregon where snowmelt from the Cascades feeds rivers that form Upper Klamath Lake, and from there the river carves its path through the rugged Siskiyou Mountains in northern California before emptying into the Pacific Ocean at the town of Requa. In its prime, the Klamath River was one of the top three salmon rivers on the West Coast (along with the Columbia and the Sacramento), supporting up to a million spawning
adults a year. But the mighty Klamath has been dealt many grievous blows over the past century and a half from the effects of gold mining, lumber harvesting, water diversions for farming and ranching, and the building of dams. All of these impacts have cumulatively taken a heavy toll on the native fish: Coho and Fall Chinook salmon numbers have dropped to roughly 10 percent of their historic numbers.
The agreements worked out by local communities represent an historic opportunity to reverse this decline and ensure a sustainable and healthy future for the Klamath River and the people who depend on its waters. If the four Klamath dams are removed in 2020 per the agreements, salmon and steelhead would gain access to over 300 miles of additional spawning habitat and colder water in upper basin tributaries that have been closed off to them for nearly a century.
FEATURE CONTRIBUTOR
Frank Eldredge
26-year CalTrout Member
Frank joined in 1989 and is embarking on a second career writing about conservation and fly fishing topics.
BREAKING NEWS
The Klamath community is mourning the untimely passing of Troy Fletcher, Executive Director of the Yurok Tribe. Progress in the Klamath starts with diverse interests coming together, and this requires strong leadership. Troy led the tribes to reach out to farmers in the upper Klamath basin and, more than any other person, brought people together. His passion, strong leadership, and unwavering commitment to the Klamath River and its people will be remembered by all. The CalTrout community sends its condolences to Troy’s family and the entire Yurok Tribe. We will miss Troy and his vision greatly.