Monday December 2, 2024
North Coast Journal —
On a recent field trip to the Klamath River, local school children were able to witness a momentous example of nature’s ability to rebound: salmon spawning in a creek upstream from the former Iron Gate dam after decades of absence.
It’s one of many ecological milestones being reached following the largest dam removal project in the nation’s history, with the official completion on Oct. 2 signaling the end of an era and a new beginning for the Klamath River, now flowing free after being released from the stranglehold of the Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, J.C. Boyle and Iron Gate dams.
The November visit to Jenny Creek — part of a collaborative program of the Karuk Tribe, Save California Salmon, the Mid Klamath Watershed Council and education partners — marked the third year of such trips for students attending schools within Siskiyou County and the Klamath-Trinity Joint Unified School District.
According to Save California Salmon, “hundreds of middle school and high school students living along the Klamath River” have participated in the program that uses the “river as a platform,” weaving in lessons on “ecosystems, water quality and local Tribal culture” with on-the-ground experiences of watching the mammoth undertaking unfold in real time.