More than a century after four dams cut off the natural flow of the Klamath River, salmon are finally swimming freely upstream again. The historic retreat follows the completion of the world’s largest dam removal project in October 2024, ending decades of ecological damage that decimated fish populations and disrupted the lives of the Yurok people in Northern California. Behind that milestone was a generation-long campaign led by indigenous Yurok families, including attorney and activist Amy Bowers Cordalis, whose memoir The Water Remembers describes her family’s role in restoring a river they consider central to their culture, identity and survival.
The California River That Kept the Yurok People Alive
Flowing approximately 263 miles from southern Oregon to the Pacific Ocean in northern California, the Klamath River has long been one of the most important salmon rivers on the U.S. West Coast. For the Yurok Tribe, whose ancestral homeland lies along the lower reaches of the river, the Klamath is much more than a waterway. Salmon have provided food to the community for generations, supported celebrations, and shaped cultural traditions. Yurok beliefs hold that the well-being of the people is inseparable from the health of the river, so its restoration is not only an environmental goal but also a cultural and spiritual responsibility.
When four dams blocked a lifeline
The first of four hydroelectric dams was built on the Klamath River in 1918, followed by three more over the next four decades. Together, they generated electricity but blocked more than 400 miles of historic salmon habitat. Reservoirs built behind dams slow river flow, raise water temperatures and promote harmful algae blooms that degrade water quality. Native fish populations declined rapidly as salmon could no longer reach their traditional spawning grounds, affecting wildlife, commercial fisheries, and indigenous communities that depend on healthy salmon runs.
Yurok fishermen on the Klamath River, where salmon have sustained indigenous communities for generations.
The disaster that sparked a movement
The campaign to restore the Klamath gained national attention after one of the worst fish kills in American history. In September 2002, an estimated 34,000 to 78,000 adult Chinook salmon died when low river flows, unusually warm water and an outbreak of a parasitic disease called “ich” swept up the river. Thousands of dead fish were scattered along the riverbanks within the Yurok Reservation, which left a lasting impression on tribal members. Amy Bowers Cordalis, who was interning with the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department at the time, witnessed the ecological disaster firsthand. This incident inspired him to pursue a legal career focused on protecting indigenous rights and restoring the Klamath River.
family behind the feud
The struggle to protect the Klamath River spanned several generations of the Cordalis family. His great-grandmother, Geneva Matz, continued fishing despite California’s restrictions on indigenous fishing rights. His great-grandfather, Ray Matze, challenged those restrictions in court and won a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case in 1973 that affirmed the Yurok people’s right to fish on their ancestral lands. Carrying on that legacy, Cordalis became general counsel for the Yurok Tribe and emerged as one of the leading voices in negotiations to remove the dams, working with tribal leaders, conservation groups, government agencies, and the dam owner to secure the river’s future.
World’s largest dam removal project
After more than two decades of negotiations, legal action and environmental advocacy, the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the removal of four hydroelectric dams in 2022. Demolition began soon thereafter, and by October 2024, the last dam was demolished, completing the largest dam removal and river restoration project ever undertaken. This unprecedented effort required collaboration among tribal nations, federal and state agencies, conservation organizations, engineers, and the utility company that owned the dams, making it one of the most significant river restoration projects in modern history.
Salmon return after more than 100 years
Soon after the collapse of the dams, the river started showing signs of improvement. In 2024, Chinook salmon migrated upstream from former dam sites for the first time in more than a century, reclaiming spawning habitat that had been inaccessible for generations. Scientists are continuing to monitor fish populations, water quality, and ecosystem recovery, while large-scale habitat restoration projects in the Klamath Basin are expected to continue through 2028. Researchers hope the restoration of the river will strengthen biodiversity, improve water quality and make native fish populations more resilient to future climate challenges.
River Restoration Blueprint
The Klamath River restoration has become a landmark example of what long-term environmental collaboration can achieve. It shows how indigenous leadership, scientific research, legal advocacy, and government cooperation can reverse decades of ecological damage. While rivers around the world face pressure from dams, pollution and climate change, the Klamath’s recovery offers a rare success story. Through generations of perseverance, the Yurok people transformed a river defined by ecological degradation into a powerful example of restoration and resilience.