Thursday September 17, 2026
The Siskiyou Daily News —
Salmon migrating up the Klamath and Trinity rivers are getting a boost from increased water releases below Lewiston Dam.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation worked with the Yurok and Hoopa Valley tribes, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners to approve flow increase to reduce the risk of disease for salmon migrating from the ocean to the rivers, the bureau said.
Flows below Lewiston Dam will increase from approximately 450 cubic feet per second to as much as 1,200 cfs, the bureau said. The planned release does not affect water supply to agriculture, communities or other environmental obligations.
The increased flows are intended to counteract low water levels and high-water temperatures in the lower Klamath River, which can lead to rapid disease transmission for migrating adult salmon. Each year, salmon like Chinook and coho migrate from the ocean and hold in the Lower Klamath and Trinity rivers before moving upstream to spawn.