What Happened
- In June 2025, around 43 Indigenous teenagers from tribes across the Klamath Basin embarked on a historic source-to-sea kayak journey along the 310‑mile newly undammed Klamath River, the first descent since the removal of four major hydroelectric dams.
- The dam removals Copco 1, Copco 2, Iron Gate, and J.C. Boyle were completed by October 2024, the largest such project in U.S. history. This restored approximately 400 miles of salmon habitat.
What Is Good About It
- Ecological revival: Within days of the removals, thousands of Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey began migrating upstream into previously blocked habitats.
- Cultural reconnection: The trip honors tribal traditions and empowers youth with direct access to ancestral waterways, hosting sacred sites and ceremonies along the route.
- Environmental education: The youths were trained through the Paddle Tribal Waters Academy, building boating skills, leadership, resilience, and river stewardship knowledge over several years.
Why It Leads to Positivity
- Environmental and social impact combined: This journey is a testament to how large-scale ecological restoration can go hand-in-hand with cultural healing and youth empowerment.
- Symbol of intergenerational resilience: As Yurok teenager Keeya Wiki reflected, the expedition is “changing an entire generation’s story” transforming historical trauma into pride and healing.
- Inspired global model: This successful, tribal-led effort combines technical engineering, scientific monitoring, and Indigenous leadership offering a blueprint for others aiming to restore ecosystems and Indigenous rights.
Additional Highlights
- New public access sites are opening along the river, encouraging outdoor recreation, tourism, and a renewed community relationship with this vital waterway.
- Restoration actions include planting billions of native seeds, stabilizing sediment, monitoring water quality, and integrating traditional ecological knowledge with modern conservation.
- Remaining challenges: The Keno Dam in southern Oregon still blocks upstream salmon migration and requires improvements. Stakeholders are actively exploring repairs or an eventual overhaul
