Restoring the Klamath River: A Historic River Reborn
The Klamath River now flows freely for the first time in more than a century. The removal of the four lower Klamath dams—J.C. Boyle, Copco 1, Copco 2, and Iron Gate—marks the most ambitious river restoration effort in U.S. history. For American Whitewater, this success represents the culmination of more than two decades of advocacy to restore the river, revitalize salmon runs, and reconnect people and communities to a living, free-flowing Klamath.
This landmark achievement reopened 45 miles of river channel, improved water quality, and created new opportunities for recreation and cultural renewal. It stands as a testament to Tribal leadership, community collaboration, and a shared vision for a healthy watershed.
American Whitewater’s role in supporting this outcome reflects both our long-standing commitment to river conservation and our belief that restoration is most powerful when people can experience it firsthand. For more than twenty-five years, American Whitewater has been a steadfast advocate for restoring the Klamath River and re-establishing its connection to the people, fish, and communities that depend on it. What began as participation in recreation studies and management planning evolved into two decades of engagement—first through relicensing, then through license surrender and decommissioning—culminating in dam removal and restoration of one of the West’s great rivers.
A River Transformed—and a Movement to Restore It
Before restoration, the Klamath River—stretching more than 250 miles from southern Oregon to the California coast—had been fragmented for over a century by a series of dams that blocked salmon migration and inundated Tribal homelands. Completion of Copco 1 Dam in 1918 blocked salmon from hundreds of miles of habitat. Later additions—Copco 2, J.C. Boyle, and Iron Gate—completed a 45-mile chain of alternating reservoirs and dewatered river reaches that produced a modest amount of power while degrading water quality, fostering toxic algae blooms, and inundating Tribal homelands.
When PacifiCorp sought to renew its hydropower license in 2000, American Whitewater joined anglers and conservationists in an initiative led by Tribes arguing that the costs of relicensing—including mandatory fish passage and water-quality improvements—far outweighed the limited benefits of continued operation (comments of American Whitewater). That effort helped bring dam removal to the negotiating table, ultimately leading to the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) in 2010. Although enabling federal legislation stalled, a 2016 amendment to the settlement created the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) to carry out decommissioning without congressional action.
Advocacy Through the Surrender Process
As the regulatory pathway shifted from relicensing to license surrender and decommissioning, American Whitewater continued as an intervenor and technical participant before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The organization filed comments and motions throughout the 2016–2022 proceedings, emphasizing three central points:
- Removal was in the public interest. The dams were obsolete, economically unjustified, and environmentally destructive. Their removal represented the only timely and effective means of reducing extinction risk for Klamath River salmon.
- Recreation is both a value and a responsibility. Dam removal restored more than 40 miles of natural river channel and opened new whitewater reaches that had long been dewatered or inundated. American Whitewater emphasized that these enduring benefits to recreation and river health outweighed the loss of opportunities that previously existed only because of artificial flows from hydropower operations—and that these long-term gains needed to be fully recognized in the environmental record.
- Implementation must be collaborative and culturally informed. Section 7.6.4 of the Klamath River Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement commits that transferred hydropower project lands “shall thereafter be managed for public interest purposes such as fish and wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement, public education, and public recreational access.” American Whitewater supported implementation of this provision—advocating for Tribal management of culturally significant lands, incorporation of Indigenous place names, and recreation facility design that avoids repeating patterns of cultural erasure.
In detailed comments on FERC’s 2022 Draft Environmental Impact Statement, American Whitewater endorsed staff recommendations for the four-dam removal scenario and urged timely completion of environmental review (comments of American Whitewater). We supported requirements that Klamath River Renewal Corporation develop a funded Recreation Facilities Plan, integrate access construction with dam deconstruction to minimize cost and disturbance, and remove in-channel hazards—such as the Sidecast Slide and trees growing in the active river channel that was largely dewatered by the Copco project for decades—prior to reservoir drawdown. These measures, we emphasized, would yield “permanent, significant, beneficial effects on recreation by enhancing boater safety and access.”
American Whitewater also pressed for explicit recognition that the project fell under Section 7 of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, since federal licensing constitutes assistance subject to that review, and that removal was fully consistent with—and enhanced—the Act’s purposes for protection and enhancement of river values that included recreation (whitewater boating and fishing), wildlife, fish, prehistory, history, and Native American traditional use. Finally, the organization advocated consultation with both the Upper Klamath Outfitters Association and American Whitewater itself to manage access closures and ensure that the public could continue to enjoy the river safely during deconstruction.
Recreation, Community, and Cultural Renewal
Beyond the technical details of dam removal, American Whitewater’s vision extends to reconnecting people with the restored Klamath. We recognize that recreation is not merely about building boat launches—it is about renewing physical, mental, social, and cultural relationships with a living river. Public access and the opportunity to float the river are vital ways for people to experience and understand the outcome of dam removal, to appreciate the river’s transformation, and to witness its ongoing process of healing.
- Physical and mental renewal. Boating, fishing, and swimming promote physical health, skill development, and stress reduction. Experiencing the river’s renewed flow fosters creativity, mindfulness, and a sense of freedom long denied by stagnant reservoirs.
- Social and cultural connection. A free-flowing Klamath strengthens family bonds, offers educational opportunities, and creates space for cultural reconnection. American Whitewater actively supports initiatives such as 划桨部落水域, which provide youth with the mentorship and tools to explore ancestral waterways. The organization also encourages the use of culturally appropriate place names—for example, replacing “Copco Valley” (a reference to the California-Oregon Power Company) with Kikacéki Valley, the Shasta Indian Nation’s preferred name honoring its cultural connection to the river.
- Responsible site design. American Whitewater worked with Tribes, agencies, and Klamath River Renewal Corporation to plan river access sites at Pioneer Park West, Moonshine Falls, K’utárawáx·u (Grizzly Hill), K’účasčas (Fall Creek), and Iron Gate. These facilities allow public enjoyment while protecting sensitive cultural and ecological resources. Coordination of site preparation with dam deconstruction reduced costs and minimized disturbance.
Learning From Other Rivers
Our work on the Klamath River builds on our experience with other transformative dam removals—the Condit Dam on the White Salmon River, Marmot Dam on the Sandy River, and the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula (our work as reported by New York Times). In each case, American Whitewater helped ensure that recreation and public access were integral to restoration, providing opportunities for people to connect with newly restored rivers and experience the transformation firsthand. Studies following those projects confirmed the resilience of rivers: channels stabilized quickly, fish returned, and communities rediscovered new opportunities for connection and economic vitality. The Klamath River has now joined this lineage—its water quality improved downstream of Iron Gate, salmon runs re-established, and reconnecting opportunities to experience the river between the upper and lower basin. American Whitewater’s continuing goal is to ensure that the public can experience these benefits and be inspired to support future efforts in dam removal and river restoration.
Goals Going Forward
With completion of dam removal on the Klamath River, the public has begun to experience and enjoy the Klamath River (article from The Guardian). American Whitewater has the following primary goals:
- Ensure safe, equitable, and culturally informed public access to the restored river at key locations, enabling the public to experience and enjoy river segments appropriate to their skills and training.
- Protect Tribal cultural resources and support Tribal acquisition and stewardship of lands once part of the project including those inundated by the reservoirs. Assist Tribes in securing the resources necessary to manage these sites in ways that advance restoration goals and provide appropriate public access.
- Advance restoration designs that reflect shared public values—fish passage, habitat improvement, recreation, and education—while preventing unmanaged use that could harm newly restored landscapes.
- Support development of educational materials for river runners and the general public that emphasize both safety and the river’s cultural and ecological significance (互动式地图).
- Build on the success of dam removal by advancing basin-wide restoration efforts that protect and enhance water quantity and water quality. While removal of the four dams has restored 45 miles of river and greatly improved downstream conditions, additional actions are needed throughout the watershed to secure the long-term health and resilience of the Klamath River.
A Restored River for Future Generations
The removal of the four Klamath dams marks the culmination of decades of Tribal leadership and partnership among agencies, conservationists, and recreation advocates. For American Whitewater, it is both a professional milestone and a personal one—a chance to witness the river’s rebirth and the renewal of relationships between people and place.
As Thomas O’Keefe, American Whitewater’s Director of Policy and Science, reflected at the Iron Gate site, “My motivation to become a scientist and advocate for rivers grew out of a deep love and appreciation born from recreation. Through thoughtful design and stewardship, we can ensure that the restored Klamath not only brings back fish, but also brings back connection—physical, spiritual, and cultural—to a river that for too long has been denied its freedom.”