Salmon have returned to the upper basin of Oregon’s Klamath River in recent weeks, successfully laying eggs in the area for the first time in decades, according to expert surveys. The development comes roughly two months after the removal of the last of four hydroelectric dams was completed, wrapping the largest dam removal project in US history.
The Klamath River was once home to one of the country’s largest salmon and steelhead migrations, with hundreds of thousands of fish traversing the waterway annually to lay eggs. A series of four dams built between 1918 and 1962 generated hydroelectric power but significantly disrupted (w/map) the ability of fish to reach the river’s upper basin. One estimate found spring-run salmon populations in the area to be down 98% from predam levels—though officials are optimistic levels will return to historic averages in the coming years.
Learn more about the salmon lifecycle here.
