Premature Klamath concerns

Following negative stories like this one on from OPB, readers have contacted me with concerns about the Klamath Dam removal. I appreciate their emails, but so far everything is pretty much going as anticipated. Sediment levels in the river were predicted to be extreme but transitory. The impacts to fish in some areas will be dramatic for the next few months which is why mitigation efforts were undertaken prior to dam breaching, including capturing fish and putting them in safe areas. Believe it or not, the current turbidity levels are lower than some of the models predicted and dissolved oxygen levels have already improved. Further, dead panfish and catfish do not concern me at all, these are invasive species that thrived in the now-drained reservoirs but should not be in the Klamath River.

There has been a vocal group that has opposed dam removal from the beginning, mostly composed of people who live along the river and Copco Lake. In the video, you can see houses along what used to be the shore of the reservoir. Obviously, these people are concerned about the potential impact on property values, which I appreciate, but the restoration of the river is more important. Over the long run I don’t think these people will suffer financially.

It’s certainly tragic that a small number of deer have been caught in the mud in former reservoir bottoms, but it will firm up, native plants are already being planted, and in the long run the abundant deer population will have excellent new habitat. Here’s a great story in Science about the habitat restoration work that will occur. There are challenges, but a well crafted plan is in place.

When I look at the video I see a river flowing freely for the first time in over a century, opening up habitat for wild, native fish. I see mud flats that will soon be transformed into natural habitat for wildlife. I think it’s fantastic. Compare this to reservoirs like Wickiup or Detroit Lake which are filled and drawn down to mud almost every year. Here’s Wickiup in October 2018, the last time I went there to take photos. These mud flats are not being restored with native vegetation and the Deschutes River, in the center of the photo, is not being restored to a natural state.