A lot to celebrate: Whitewater guides talk Klamath dams and dam removal

It feels like we have no control

Francis Gill and Danny Fontaine, two local landowners at Copco Lake, share their perspectives on the impacts of the dam removals on local residents, as well as the threats facing rural communities in the American West more broadly.

A lot to celebrate: Whitewater guides talk Klamath dams and dam removal

Since the construction of JC Boyle, whitewater recreation occurs via scheduled releases from the dam. Known colloquially as the “Upper Klamath,” this reach of the river has legendary rapids with big waves and exciting drops. With the dams gone, flows will be much more variable and less predictable, eliminating the reach as a reliable option for guiding businesses. This will be a loss for outfitters and recreational users of the river, but as you’ll hear, dam removal also creates some new opportunities. This episode was recorded on the banks of the Upper Klamath with guides from Indigo Creek Outfitters

There will be mud!

Want to know what scientists think could happen with all of that sediment (13 million cubic yards!) stored behind the dams? Or how the temperature, nutrients, and algae in the river could change? Chauncey Anderson, recently retired from the US Geological Survey, helps unpack what we think we know about the water quality changes ahead for the Klamath and where the gaps in our knowledge are

Lessons in adaptive environmental permitting

Environmental permitting isn’t at the forefront of everyone’s mind, but it certainly was for project partners on the Klamath. Long known for being tedious and lacking in transparency, environmental permitting is often considered a barrier to getting projects completed, rather than an opportunity to collaborate and improve projects. But as the environment around us changes, so should environmental permitting, right? Chris Stine with ODEQ walks us through how the states (CA and OR) worked the permitting process to support the projects, setting an important precedence for how environmental permitting can adapt along with the environment

The fish will figure it out

Miranda gets into the fishy details with Dr. Tommy Williams from NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center. Tommy provides a clear overview of why the dam removal is so important for the Klamath River fish as the system faces climate change and other threats. The conversation covers what why restoration actions need to focus on resetting processes at large scales and collaborating until it hurts.