Indigenous advocacy leads to largest dam removal project in US history – By Hilary Beaumont (Al Jazeera) / Dec 4, 2023
Four dams are being demolished along the Klamath River in northern California, as salmon populations plummet.
Every fall, Barry McCovey, a member of the Yurok Tribe and director of tribal fisheries, takes his four children salmon fishing on the Klamath River, the second largest river in California.
A strong salmon run normally nets his family 30 or 40 fish. It’s a supply big enough to last them all year: They freeze, smoke and can the salmon to serve either on its own or on sandwiches and crackers.
But this year, the predicted salmon run was the second lowest since detailed records began in 1978, and the fall fishing season was cancelled.
The river’s salmon population has declined due to myriad factors, but the biggest culprit is believed to be a series of dams built along the river from 1918 to 1962, cutting off fish migration routes.
