The Klamath River runs approximately 257 miles from southern Oregon through northern California, before reaching the Pacific Ocean at the traditional Yurok village of Rek-woi. With the historic removal of four dams along the Klamath River in 2024, salmon and other river species now have access to nearly 400 miles of spawning and rearing habitat that have been blocked for nearly 100 years. Numerous habitat restoration projects are now underway on the Klamath River to improve spawning and rearing areas for salmon returning to the area. The next step in restoration is to ensure adequate, clean, cold water to support their lifecycle. Low water flows can be disastrous for migrating adult salmon causing heat stress to salmon that makes them more susceptible to disease and pathogens.
Quantifying and securing the instream flows necessary to support ecosystem recovery and ecological function within a changing climate will be essential to enhancing ecosystem resilience in the Klamath Basin. As salmon populations recover, there would be a revitalization of the traditional subsistence and commercial instream and offshore salmon fisheries, which is estimated to be worth over $500 million in revenue if salmon populations are healthy. Better instream flow would also improve recreational/sport fishing and river rafting and create potential new opportunities for eco-tourism. Currently, only the bare minimum flows required by the Endangered Species Act to support Coho salmon are provided to the Tribes. Ridges to Riffles will work with the Yurok Tribe to develop a new strategy to assert the Tribe’s federally reserved water rights and ensure the ongoing recovery of this landscape.
