Thursday July 25, 2024
San Francisco Chronicle —
The nation’s largest dam-removal project is moving along faster than planned, with the demolition work on the Klamath River, near the California-Oregon border, due to wrap up as soon as next month – and salmon expected to make their long-awaited return soon after.
Following months of blasting and drilling, three large hydroelectric dams slated for dismantling this year are close to being cleared out of the river channel while a smaller fourth dam was taken out last fall.
Officials at the Klamath River Renewal Corp., which is managing the $500 million deconstruction effort about a six-hour drive from San Francisco, credit a combination of good weather and speedy crews for putting the bulk of the work on track to finish about a month and a half before their Oct. 15 deadline.
“Us being ahead of schedule is all the better for protecting the river and for protecting the fish,” said Ren Brownell, spokeswoman for the Renewal Corp.