For the first time in over a century, one of many concrete barriers on the Klamath River began its water release in preparation for dam removal as part of the drawdown phase.
The operation commenced on Thursday, January 11, with water released through a tunnel at the base of Iron Gate. Subsequent milestones included the blasting out of a concrete plug at J.C. Boyle on Tuesday, January 16, which drained the area in 16 hours, and a week later, on Tuesday, January 23, another concrete plug met the same fate at Copco’s reservoir.
The strategic release of water during winter, a period when sensitive aquatic life, including endangered salmon, tends to be away from the main stem of the Klamath, aims to facilitate the movement of sediment. The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), the entity overseeing the dam removal, estimated that 17 to 20 million cubic yards of sediment behind Iron Gate, JC Boyle, and Copco No. 1, with an anticipated five to seven million cubic yards expected to cascade downstream through February.
While the reservoirs may experience periodic refilling during winter runoff, the prevailing drought conditions have kept levels in check. Iron Gate’s reservoir has seen partial refilling from upriver water releases.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and KRRC estimate it will take 18 to 24 months for the water quality to attain pristine conditions. Activists and environmentalists expressed optimism that sediment removal, though a temporary disruption, is preferable to the toxic algae that plagued the reservoirs each summer.
As part of the ongoing restoration efforts, the Yurok Fisheries Department has already begun planting native vegetation in the exposed areas. Meanwhile, the larger objective of dam removal remains on track for Fall 2024.
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