Tensions Rise Amid Klamath Dams Removals

[@ABC10]

Read more: www.abc10.com/article/news/investigations/tensions-rise-amid-klamath-dams-removals/103-8b93ac12-ec59-432e-ae2f-80fe3f24befe

[@johnkilty1419]

I was just at Iron Gate 3 weeks ago. It is steadily improving. There was no viable way to save the lakes. The water was antifreeze green and there was zero fish passage. The water in Copco smelled and was continuing to get worse each year. We had a lot of water this year. It was a good year to start this long term project.

[@dinavasquez5417]

Create New Jobs: By Restoring the Dams in the USA to have better electricity, and save the water for all Farmers! No water? No Food!! Also have Architects with good Credentials design and Re-route or Detour a New River running side by side by the Dams! To have clean healthy water for the Fish to swim up stream! There's a lot of skilled workers ready to do the Job! It can be done! Our Nation will Unite in this Restoration Project!...

[@bigfoot163]

Did you see the wild horses??? They are completly destroying the process 😂😂😂😂

[@SmoknJ]

Dams are not the answer and haven't been for a long time. ​@@dinavasquez5417

[@Jaded7981]

Algae was a big problem in the’60’s. I had a part-time job riding around in a boat dragging a gunny sack filled with Bluestone to help get rid of the algae. Not sure I got the name of that stuff correct.

[@Jaded7981]

@@dinavasquez5417And where will the money for that come from ?

[@DanKillam]

These comments are way more intelligent than I anticipated. Warms my heart

[@jimbosammy4255]

Until we are accused of 'misinformation'. A word that liberals use regularly to silence apposition.

[@tothelighthouse9843]

Incredible project. The benefits of the restoration will exponentially improve water quality over time--all the plantings along the river will filter the water & prevent erosion & siltification. Congratulations & THANK YOU to the Indigenous Nations who have worked so hard, & for so long, to save this beautiful River.

[@westsparks6844]

Some people can't see the trees in spite of their nose

[@MarkCosgrove-b3p]

Give the river time to repair itself from years of ignorant human activities. It will be strong again.

[@future_me_6067]

Salmon!

[@tomwillis9051]

Guess you've never heard of climate change !! The river will probably run itself so low on some years it will kill all fish in it.. Which is fine then a problem will be finally and completely solved..

[@shickakaper8028]

@@future_me_6067 Cadmium!

[@thepirhomancer9745]

Nailed it!!

[@avatarstaterm7350]

THis! It will take time for the river to rebuild itself. Once the man made obstructions are removed, nature will find a way.

[@michaelwaller6093]

I lived in that are for 10 years and used to fish the Klamath below Irongate for steelhead. During that time, I saw both the steelhead and salmon runs decline due to poor water quality. Copco Lake, Above Irongate, was a warm water fishery with a lot of residential homes along the lakeshore. Most of these people's complaints was about losing property value since hey wold no longer have waterfront property. The Klamath is actually a great river, that has been curtailed by the dams. The sediment and metals issue is something that will happen, and then decline as the river flushes itself out and becomes a quality stream again. That entire area has always had a love / hate relationship with government over water. Hopefinally, the dam removal finalizes it.

[@lensmanicfeleven1847]

..Yep...Realtors again....Greed over Country....

[@chir0pter]

this is what I figured- had to do with property values somehow, because the anti-removal arguments are pretty weak. and the downstream boomers mad about water quality that will improve in a few years, but is an issue right now- how (stereo)typical.

[@IAMAredditor]

I’d pay more for riverfront property, but that’s just me.

[@hukphin740]

The homeowners should've been able to maintain thier property rights and river front status to the "new" high water mark, but Gavin essentially just stole their land.

[@davidkmillerphotography]

I'm here only because I read an article about salmon returning already and learned a lot from this video. Thank you for your local knowledge and insight.🤙

[@islandbirdw]

We live near the dam removal site on the Elwah river. They’ve been studying the effects of the over 100 years of sediment since they removed both dams. It’s created new habitat and the sediment helps to make small pebbles from larger rocks that make better fish spawning habitat. It will take some time for this transformation to take place. People fear what they don’t fully understand 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

Absolutely. People fear what they don't understand. And the less educated, the less they understand. It's the saddest thing about Siskiyou county.😢

[@islandbirdw]

@@MJ-uf9tl you are contradicting the science that has been published on this topic. Your qualifications? My husband is a scientist who works with fish and we have mingled for years with those scientists who were hired to study the post dam removal sequelae. This includes the 120 years of sediment trapped behind both dams. Includes the reason why dams are harmful in more than one way. Salmon need smaller pebbles to spawn in. Those are the facts as I am aware. I myself and not a scientist but I fully respect their work.

[@Bio33-lg2bh]

Each year the salmon population will increase as long as native trees are planted along the banks of the river.

[@islandbirdw]

@@MJ-uf9tl right as soon as I ask you for qualifications after you make the statement about poor education, and now you are silent. Yeah I get the message…. You have no qualifications to be sounding off as if you are a scientist. Your ignorance is showing.

[@Foxyfreedom]

I’ve been to elwha it doesn’t look pretty or natural lol it looks messed up!

[@Spectral257]

The damns should've never been allowed. The river will clean itself up in a few years repairing the damage mankind has caused!

[@christopherwelch136]

Well said.

[@NunYa953]

Pipe down, hippie.

[@daviddudeskie6940]

I hope you charged your phone from solar power and grow your own food with rain water. If not, you are an absolute hypocrite.

[@sir.cannabis1173]

Yes! Civilization must be stopped 🤖 Bow down to the computer for your health and safety 🗽

[@Dawna_Potter]

@@daviddudeskie6940the fact that she has a cell phone or a computer, she’s a hypocrite. She’s also producing carbon dioxide.

[@loragunning5394]

To all of those folks who are so very upset about the removal of these dams, all I can think to say is the dams are gone and are not going to come back. Thousands of volunteers are working very hard every day to help restore the river and the now exposed lake beds. This is a LONG-TERM restoration process, it's not gonna happen overnight and the first couple of years may be a bit rough, it's true. It seems everyone closely involved with the project understands and accepts that fact. If you all care so much about the health of the river, it's water quality, the health of the river's drainage basin and restoring the ecosystem around the river (as you seem to profess), why oh why are you wasting your time protesting what has already been done and cannot be undone instead of joining those who are working so hard to help the river recover?

[@Treecareproj]

Those types of people are the Reason America is the way it is today. A burnt out husk of a once utopia.

[@Clickmaster5k]

The dams will be back. Give it 50 years. These news reports make it look like no one in CA understands what dams even do. They will be needed again though.

[@jeromeball859]

@@Treecareproj Hopefully not a husk - having watched this video (ending with the "people healing people" message), without taking any side, I'd hope in a couple years' time that the simple rationales for removing these dams will play out for the intended net benefit, emotions will subside, and a US resident anywhere can look at this as an example: "The extremist narratives of all types were proven false in this case. Perhaps I should never fall for extremism again. Perhaps I can vote against extremists, red, blue, green, or any other color, at every level, from school board to state office to President".

[@JimFarmer-l3n]

Is it ok with you if I question the wisdom of this project. Am I allowed to demand positive results before watching the same type of project done somewhere else. One reason to “protest what is already done” is to stop it from happening again .

[@JimFarmer-l3n]

@@jeromeball859well said remember the old saying QUESTION EVERYTHING? Took me a long time to understand how important it is to first question my own beliefs and opinions. It’s easier to pick a side dig in your heels and jam your head in the sand. One of those old Greek guys said something like don’t love holding your beliefs instead love testing the beliefs you hold🌲

[@info781]

Geez these people want it all fixed in a month? Every one knows it will take 5 to 10 years, it is a big project.

[@CormacHolland]

Society of convenience breeds this type of sentiment.

[@EattheApple666]

Bunch of Karen's.

[@timothywalsh6776]

Yeah! It will come back better, I think faster than we think

[@that_guy_297]

How are the salmon supposed to spawn if the klamath is mud

[@info781]

​@@that_guy_297they don't spawn all year.

[@brothermayihavesomeloops7048]

The lady with the jars literally said she doesn't even know what she's doing...

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

There are a lot of folks in Siskiyou county that like to pretend. A lack of education is their biggest challenge.

[@donnasummer6285]

@@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396 indeed.

[@johnsospencer]

Wouldn't that be somewhat valuable to get a timestamp of what may have been in the river water each day? Also, addressing the comments below. I think this education divide is where America divides culturally. We should be careful when looking down on people that we deem as uneducated deplorables. We should acknowledge our OWN knowledge gaps as educated people instead of attempting to feel superior.

[@brothermayihavesomeloops7048]

@johnsospencer I think you make a really good point, and I see how my original comment comes off as an insult to the research she thinks she's doing. I won't pretend to be an expert with the answers, and I generally distrust authority myself. But whether it sounds nice or not, it is still true that the lady admits she has no understanding of what she is actually testing and what she is observing, so her observations are meaningless.

[@johnsospencer]

@@brothermayihavesomeloops7048 haha, fair point! Cheers 🍻

[@RadicalEarth]

Don't quit saving the sediment water jars! In the coming decade (maybe sooner) you'll have great evidence that the river is back and alive like it was before the dams were put in. Look North to the Elwah dam removal project for robust evidence that the river, the shores, the animals will return and thrive! It is hard for some locals to see the scars and mud at your favorite swimming hole or fishing spot, but similar pain was felt by others when the dams were put in. Newtons law.

[@IAMAredditor]

It might end up being a really great source of data. I hope she keeps doing it.

[@boblove6865]

People are ridiculous. The dam had to go and nobody stays whole. Just deal with it. You can’t save the dams nor should you.

[@Bigfoot-px9gj]

If the dams were built properly in the first place (which they were not), with most of the river dammed, but not all of it, so that fish could still get past it, there would be less reason to remove it. Northern California and southern Oregon would not lose the hydro power, drinking water, and the Klamath Tribe could get their fish that they need to survive. However, even if the dams are totally removed, the Tribes of the Klamath Basin will not get back the 1.8 Million acres of land they lost to the dam projects in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

[@boblove6865]

@@Bigfoot-px9gj creating hot lakes for the Salmon. There is no proper way to build a dam.

[@PERIDOTPIMP]

@@Bigfoot-px9gjyou don't know that for 100% fact, plenty of tribes including the yurok have gotten millions of miles of land returned recently. And i'm sure only more will happen in the future. Not only have indigenous people been here since time immemorial, they know how to take care of this land and restore it back to health.

[@driftwood63]

Dams kill rivers

[@l-kin3480]

Looks like beavers didn't get the memo

[@IndigoMystik]

​@@l-kin3480You beat me to it.

[@Siletzia]

Thank you to ABC10+ for this important documentary series. Hope you are able to produce episodes at important time milestones in the years ahead.

[@Myshcan]

Agreed. But one minor issue is that I kept getting distracted by the pronunciation "Ka-lamath" instead of "Klam-ath."

[@MarkS-y6k]

The river will repair itself

[@chriskelly6559]

It will if we stay outta the way.

[@christopherwelch136]

Agreed.

[@bigfoot163]

@@MarkS-y6k what an ignorant statement 😂 😂 😂

[@johnkilty5091]

It is repairing itself right now as I write this.

[@christianwolf68]

nature always does. all it takes is for us people to get out of the way

[@GO-xs8pj]

Nature always heals itself from the insults of humanity. I hope I live long enough to see this area restored.

[@johnlee7085]

Definitely hope you are not dieing soon. Nature does heal itself and the injuries caused by mankind. m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHeQfXh6lKmIjLM

[@adamr149]

Seems like a mass misunderstanding of the science and water usage by locals.

[@JimFarmer-l3n]

@@adamr149 what science? They blew a hole in the dams and drained the lakes. After 10 years of “science “ wow that was next level genius I’m sure “locals ‘ would never have thought of that

[@fanatamon]

their tears say more then real science ever will.

[@adamr149]

@@fanatamon huh?

[@MargaretCraddock-hy9yw]

@@adamr149 1000's of years of history and tradition. ya, us locals. our tears. 🪶🪶🪶

[@adamr149]

@@MargaretCraddock-hy9yw Can you be less cryptic?

[@lulu-cx5dv]

I'm cheering for the river to run wild.

[@n5ifi]

Me too

[@coyotefeather4896]

Me too, this is a huge win for future generations. The problem with our culture is that we don't think generationally.

[@Sugarsail1]

So do you walk around with a "I'm a myopic anti-humanist idiot" sign around your neck too?

[@n5ifi]

@@Sugarsail1 Sory, wi don not uberstanm thos big wrds

[@JohnnyTaxonomy]

Most people are so short sighted and narrow minded. They have no idea the complexity and the greater meaning of this.

[@JeffPutnam-i1v]

Did any of these people research past dam removals? Every time the ecosystem rebounds. It wont happen overnight. Have some patience people.

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

These naysayers and cry babies have never researched anything in their lives! Most of them can barely read.

[@JimFarmer-l3n]

@@JeffPutnam-i1v l would love to know how your opinion of this project was formed?

[@JimFarmer-l3n]

@@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396 come on tell us what you really think of anyone who disagrees with you. Do you have anything useful to say? I predict……silence

[@future_me_6067]

Tensions can rise as long as the water is not. Dam dam go away. 7:03 Wild horses are not a precious species. They are INVASIVE like the dams and they ruin the landscape like the dams. Folks think they are cute or pretty but it is a disaster happening. As a Nevada native I am fed up with the protection of wild horses that do not belong.

[@MsJamieburns]

Too bad. Good thing you’re not in charge, huh .

[@JimJudoka]

@@MsJamieburns lol what do you mean too bad? they're invasive ya uneducated dolt

[@hukphin740]

​@MsJamieburns ....and even better thing that you aren't. You had truth and facts sent your way and your turned up your nose up to it and then puked your ignorance up in your post.

[@childofthesoftgrass2228]

Interesting that the anti-removal message seems to be "don't release the poison that we have accumulated for decades in these dead algae-bloom lakes back on us. That is so terrible. What if I wanted to actually use my boat?" The deflection from reality is nauseating.

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

Exactly!

[@branchandfoundry560]

Five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance.

[@JimFarmer-l3n]

@@childofthesoftgrass2228 listen to your self in what “reality “ is releasing poison into any river even considered you think it’s a great idea? I don’t know what deflection from reality means but where I’m from intentionally releasing poison into a river is ( so many words come to mind but I how fragile most people are so how about) never a good idea

[@jkleem4234]

@@JimFarmer-l3nyou’re yelling into a box

[@deanharris-oe2wc]

The accumulated sediment could have been pumped out!

[@debrapaulino918]

Healing is underway ❤.

[@flipstars]

Whiners and short sighted, selfish, arrogant people don't want these dams removed. Accept change. This river will be amazing in the years to come. Maybe not in the lives of some of these elderly people, but definitely future generations.

[@kenxiong6830]

It takes time for Mother Nature to heal

[@Jaded7981]

The Elwha took a decade to repair itself.

[@johnlee7085]

Fortunately, we have lots of history showing how it happens.

[@Korina42]

@@Jaded7981 I gather biologists were seeing salmon in the river the next year.

[@JimDeferio]

"Nature" can be a mean mother and floods are only a small part of "Nature's" wrath.

[@bravedown50]

Obviously on a project like this, the first few years are always gonna have the most issues. Fish will die, animals will get stuck in the mud, water quality will go down. It will eventually start running clear, fish and animals will thrive and normalcy will return.

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

finally, the voice of reason!👍

[@inigoromon1937]

But those morons are purposeful deaf because they only worry about their property prices.

[@Foxyfreedom]

I’ll believe it when I see it! Just like when they said Florida would be under water 10 years ago. The people that can’t predict the weather tomorrow want to tell you what it will be like in 50 years. Don’t trust the experts. Question the experts

[@omg-idk]

i don’t understand what logic there is behind being nervous about sediment that already existed there? now it’s moving away, if you believe the sediment is toxic for people why are you not glad the river is washing it away from people?

[@donnasummer6285]

Ignorance on display with those folks.

[@shickakaper8028]

Idiots, cadmium dust is gonna spread everywhere, this is a genocide

[@EmmaHopman]

Seeing all the people protesting this knowing nothing about it really reminds me that the average person ain't so bright.

[@shickakaper8028]

@@EmmaHopman cadmium is cadmium.. and people are people. I like people. If those humans do not evacuate NOW, and this isn't reported as a disaster and an emergency those "humans" will get bone cancer. But I guess I'm uneducated in your opinion 🙄. The cadmium residue at the bottom of the dams could have easily been cleaned. Or! You could have "built" instead of destroying a "fish ladder" and what about the lake las Angeles killed to get water?? that was the real disaster. How bout we save the lakes the coastal cities drained. I think you want the rural population dead and the coastal people alive. That is all.

[@EmmaHopman]

@@shickakaper8028 the cadmium is there but exposure levels aren't an issue because it isn't drinking water. Did you know the river was already unsafe to drink or even swim in due to toxicity caused by the dams? Once the sediment is gone it will become a much safer river for everyone.

[@stevet8121]

It will be interesting to see what this winter brings.

[@RavenCeleri]

Well they weren't created for flood control

[@who2u333]

So, what I am seeing from this story is that people against the dam removal are using the immediate aftermath of the removal as an indication of a failure of the process. What they don't seem interested in is learning what is expected over time and what the longer term plan is. They see actions that they don't understand and attribute something nefarious to those actions. There is a difference between 'no one told us' and 'we weren't listening', but it appears that the dam removal and the river recovery is proceeding as expected by the people that researched and studied what to expect.

[@johnlee7085]

It’s not difficult to find many many successful dam removal projects. It would be interesting to see if anyone could provide an example of an unsuccessful dam removal project. m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHeQfXh6lKmIjLM

[@eh3477]

They also didn't care about the health of the river while the water quality was deadly to several important species for the last 100+ years. Also, some of the outcry is performance. Where was Siskiyou County leadership, for example, during negotiations over the last 10 years?

[@JimFarmer-l3n]

@@who2u333 plenty of “we weren’t listening “ on both sides. Salmon runs are declining everywhere we should try to figure out why and do something. Something that actually helps salmon. Instead we did this. Help me “understand “ how this helps salmon. It sure hasn’t helped in the short term. Everyone hopes it helps in the long term I don’t know and neither do you. Is hope scientific?

[@who2u333]

@@JimFarmer-l3n Here is the easy 'how this help salmon" Salmon can't swim up dams. You are right, neither you nor I 'know' if this will help long term, but we haven't spent years studying the issue, so we should not be expected to know. Obviously 'hope' isn't scientific, but the people managing this aren't using hope, they are using science.

[@JimFarmer-l3n]

@@who2u333 I’m confused. Exactly what is this project trying to achieve. Surely it’s not to create new habitat east of I 5. So why would the salmon need to go upstream from the dam? Obviously it was not to improve the overall quality of the river downstream. Some non profit got a bunch of $ to blow 4 dams, pacific power or whoever got rid of future liabilities and the taxpayers got to pay for it. And those are the positives. Pat each other on the back and go tear up something else. Crazy times

[@TheBerserker50]

We must see more of this here and around the world. This will allow future generations to enjoy life.

[@deletethisaccount6524]

RES is a great company with amazing people. Every one of them was trained to restore this environment. Making them out to be anything less than heroes is pure fabrication. My hat is off to the people that have to withstand a Public Relations battle with know-nothings in order to do the right thing. It's hero's work.

[@donmertle9099]

This restoration was a long time coming; the benefits will be felt for years to come. The deforestation of the whole region presents another environmental remediation that can restore the natural wealth that was wiped out.

[@ricosaurus]

Great reasons not to build dams -- sooner or later they become a huge liability. Would be painful to live on the dead reservoirs as they are drained.

[@johnkilty5091]

I would love to live there. Watching the transformation would be a great way to spend my later years. I was just at Iron Gate. It is really amazing to see what the topography looks like with lake gone.

[@johnkilty1419]

I was at Copco and Iron gate last month. I think it looks amazing. It is a lake bed transitioning into a stream bed. Very serene. I would love to live near by.

[@ricosaurus]

@@johnkilty5091 Yes, I would love to live there now, anticipating a restored river. But few who were living on the reservoirs would share that desire, as their properties are now plagued with problems. I visited a few weeks ago, and hope to go back and float the restored sections soon. Right now too unstable.

[@roberto.gallegos]

The river will heal itself for the most part.

[@billsmith5109]

Spring 2025 the real estate agents will be advertising property as ‘Beautiful estate home over looking flower meadows along the Klamath River. Watch grazing deer, and soaring hawks from your deck’.

[@bigfoot163]

@@billsmith5109 lol 😂 nah the river is toxic and dead and will be that way for 5 to 10 more years lol

[@Mr_CGS]

Mother nature repairs herself just fine.

[@billsmith5109]

@@bigfoot163 This one wasn’t exactly prescient. The chinook are back, clear to Oregon. Success.

[@williamlloyd3769]

Most of these issues were studied and discussed over many years. By 2025 the river will be back in the original channel, dams removed and restoration of plant life on its way. It will get better every day.

[@bigfoot163]

They say it could take 10 YEARS , 10 years of this will leave a dead river

[@bigfoot163]

All the fish are dead, all the bugs are gone , and they say it could take 10 years now 😂😂😂 MY FAMILY HS OWNED A HOUSE ON THE KLAMATH NEAR THE SHASTA RIVER FOR 4 GENERATIONS, they killedthe river,

[@DrJax0124]

@@bigfoot163You keep saying “they.” Who is “they?”

[@paulcallicoat7597]

@@DrJax0124 Oh I don't know but I'm thinking its funded by the likes of Bill Gate who has bought a half million acres of ag land. He really cares about getting as many farmers shut down to push his agenda of population reduction thru eating fake meat,plants and killing off meat production which will make him even more money.

[@jakej.2893]

​​​@@bigfoot163If the river has been killed then the death warrant was signed by the people who built the dams in the first place. This is the collective result of decades of damage to the ecosystem. The dama were always going to cause these catastrophes eventually. The fact that we made it happen before the dams could collapse on their own likely reduced the degree of damage we're seeing. Imagine if we let the dams stand for another 20 or 30 years what would the results of them failing be then?

[@bigdougscommentary5719]

So the river is NOT a source of drinking water. Then why is that lady claiming her children are being poisoned?

[@johnlee7085]

People make all sorts of claims and people do plenty of things that are known to be unhealthy but blame others.

[@Agatesforbrains]

Maybe she is an idiot.

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

​@@Agatesforbrains Most of the locals there are absolutely 💯% morons!

[@ShastaTodd]

fearmongering...

[@donnasummer6285]

@@johnlee7085 see smoking…

[@mcRydes]

This is a great example of how people fear all change, even the most obviously innocuous or beneficial.

[@derekjanich6263]

yet Mr. Leach is ok with the used tires in the water he presumably installed on his dock.

[@kestralrider313]

It appears that we're doing something we've never done before, and perhaps those with strong opinions on both sides should wait to see the impact on our environment a decade from now. It is physically impossible to remove a dam (or put one up) without immediate environmental damage and negative impacts. We will learn a lot from this unprecedented size and scale, and I expect that scientists, environmentalists, and outdoor enthusiasts will have more knowledge and data available to stop or improve future dam removals. Let's all remember that no dam lasts forever, and reservoirs eventually fill up with sediment regardless of the dam's structural integrity and size.

[@Korina42]

Nah, this isn't even the 10th dam removal project. That's how the people doing it know how to do it. Practice. Next, undamn the Eel!

[@kestralrider313]

@@Korina42 I'm the wrong kind of engineer to understand all the scope and challenges, but I was referring to the scale and dam size as being something we've never done before. While it may be centuries away, this project has me considering how we will address a really large dam removal, like the Hoover or Glenn Canyon dams and what to do when their lakes eventually silt up. They have long expected lifetimes, past my expected life, but the volumes of both water and silt they are holding back are scary big.

[@branchandfoundry560]

@@kestralrider313 Like eating an elephant, as the saying goes.

[@markrobinson6200]

Quit complaining. A couple good winters and things will be back to natural.

[@mvl9591]

Nature will come back.

[@shickakaper8028]

@@mvl9591 yes as a desert. Nature isn't friendly.

[@mvl9591]

@@shickakaper8028 area around Mount Saint Helen’s has regrown. Water and sunlight and plants grow

[@theoriginalnewtboy]

Salmon are already spawning above the removed dams, including Chinook that hadn’t been seen for over 100 years. The locals claimed the dam removals would (and has) killed the river, all fish dead and none would return. Once again they were 100% wrong, just like they were when they opposed the dam removal for poorly thought out reasons (they just wanted their stagnant lake instead of a world class salmon river in their backyard).

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

They are just paranoid and afraid of any sort of change. But you think by now they'd be getting tired of being wrong all the time!

[@H0lland0ates79]

As they are my people I will ALWAYS stand with my fellow Native American tribespeople. These fans were a mistake to begin with, and while there will be negative repercussions in the immediate aftermath the overall impact will be a positive one that will save many local species

[@AaaaNinja]

All those people who are opposed to the removal, have they not considered that the consequences of the removal are a consequence of having the dam put in in the first place? Effing just rip the bandaid off. Yeah, the natives have been fighting for so long to get their river back and they talk about how the river needs to heal. But first you have to breach the wound to drain out the infection. It is not pleasant but it's necessary.

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

absolutely! 100% true!

[@Potz4pizza]

The uproar is only because that area is full of crazies.

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

Bingo! You win the "Nailed It" prize! 💯% correct!

[@delavan9141]

They're everywhere. And not crazy, just not good at processing information.

[@sandercohen9712]

They're probably batty from all the heavy metal poisoning from the environment

[@JimFarmer-l3n]

@@Potz4pizza disturbing how easy it is to dismiss anyone who doesn’t agree with you

[@macejc101]

right? I mean why is that nutty woman collecting water samples? when pressed, she even admits she doesnt have a point to prove...

[@delavan9141]

What's dirt made of? Get a garden soil test and you'll see an array of naturally occurring metals. People pay lots of money to buy tablets of zinc, copper, magnesium, etc. These things are everywhere. The bad ones as well as the good ones. And you can't compare raw river water against drinking water standards, that is completely ludicrous.

[@williammcdonagh7454]

Recently visited the Klamath for the first time and the Yurok tribal lands along with Yreka..one of the most beautiful places I've ever been..

[@douglascronin7336]

I live up here in Siskiyou county and the people are very backward, people here will always find something to complain about.

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

I've lived in and around Siskiyou county on and off for close to 40 years now. it's hard to admit the fact, but yes there are a bunch of backwards hillbillies here!

[@ShastaTodd]

trumpers too - he loves the uneducated... sigh

[@delavan9141]

People WANT something to complain about. Gives meaning to their lives.

[@JimFarmer-l3n]

@@douglascronin7336 just curious did you grow up there or move from somewhere?

[@douglascronin7336]

@@JimFarmer-l3n I have lived in many places before here.

[@paulafugate3210]

There has been success on the Salmon, Elwha, Sandy, and others. Once the sediments blocked by the dams clear, the hydrological cycle will find balance. Planting native plant/restoration will eventually take hold creating habitat and recreational opportunities.

[@joyg2526]

These down river people want things to continue as they are, because THEY'RE comfortable. The minute they aren't, they get offended.

[@bonecrone411]

Oh my. I am so happy to see this.. Thanks to everyone that kept up the good fight. To return the river to its natural course. Absolutely certain, The river will heal itself from the human restrictions placed on it.

[@Steve-bw4oh]

Give it time. It has to heal

[@ExploreWithIsaac]

People who are short-sighted, who don't understand that 100 years of bad policy can't be undone overnight. The goal is a better habitat for all, cleaner water for all, but it takes time to better the river and the environment.

[@CRneu]

It reminds me of a child being told they have to share and then throwing a tantrum.

[@Misterwhistle]

Anyone who is protesting dam removal is ignorant and selfish. If a dam is no longer serving a use other than making a lake front property for a land owner it should be removed to let water flow its natural course.

[@WorldsOkayestBusDriver]

Ask the forestry service how they will fight forest fires without the water

[@Misterwhistle]

@@WorldsOkayestBusDriver that is a lame reason.

[@Retr0racin]

@@WorldsOkayestBusDriver Most forrest fires are fought with shovels and fire, very little water unless its being dumped from a plane which can fly and find water.

[@lisa-mott]

Those dams provided our area with clean power, 70,000 homes worth. Our population in Siskiyou County is around 44,000 people, and it has the 5th largest county land area, in California. Since their decommissioning, we have consistently lost power in our region without reasons given. I have been told by people in the power business, that we don't have enough power to support our area now and we are having to buy power elsewhere. The dams also provided cooler water during our dry, hot summer months. With the dams coming down, parts of the river have already hit 80°. The rest of the river is 70°+ during the month of July.

[@lisa-mott]

We already had a few fires in the vicinity of the Klamath River where the dams are located. Helicopters were unable to get water from the Klamath River and had to dip into nearby ponds. Loosing that water resource to fight fires is a big loss for this area. Knock on wood, we haven't had any major fires this summer.

[@richardlynch1094]

Thank you ao much fir this reporting! We are hopeful of freeing the Eel River in Lake County, which would reatore 140 miles of salmonid breeding streams. #FreetheEel

[@CJScrol]

In WA, the Elwah dam was taken down-the first one in the nation. The entire area will need time to reform. People often fear change but as in WA, salmon have been restored all the way up the river & as far as I know, it’s a success story. Another point is that old dams are degrading & will eventually fail in possible catastrophic events.

[@ASmithee67]

If the waters turning dark is because of 100 years of sediment behind the dams finally flushing to the sea. What did residents expect... magic sediments would disappear?? That's silly.

[@scott5803]

There are thousands of rivers in the U.S. that are unhealthy from being dammed that the resident river haters of Siskiyou County can migrate to.

[@frankalessio3374]

Name them.

[@frankalessio3374]

Name them.

[@musicandfiction]

@@matthew3136 - Argument of the weak. Unless you actually provide it, sit yourself down and be silent. PERMANENTLY.

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

Scott, well put and a great idea. I wish they'd go away too.😉

[@johnkilty5091]

@@musicandfiction So , here on youtube you call someone weak because they won't list a thousand rivers for you? I agree with musicanfiction.. Do your own research.

[@KirstenPacifica]

When is Part 3 coming out? It's fall. Great doc!

[@Sir_Wellington]

She’s upset that dead fish are being put back into the river. Does she want to bury them in a Christian burial? Fish die, they die in the water, their bodies break down, and the nutrients go back into the soil and is broken down further by enzymes, fungi, other animals, heck too much benefit to mention. What a loon.

[@Mrbfgray]

Make fantastic fertilizer, unpleasant to handle but that was a daily early morning ritual for us kids at grandma's resort at Clearlake, CA. Clean the beach and bury the carcasses around rose bushes or whatever. A few buckets would do wonders for a garden.

[@Sir_Wellington]

@@MrbfgrayI use them in my mulch. My soil is super happy.

[@Mrbfgray]

@@Sir_Wellington I compost everything, if it was recently living. Fish tho is top shelf stuff. :D)

[@Sir_Wellington]

@@Mrbfgrayyou might be my spirit animal lol

[@lisa-mott]

They released fish into the river system right before this video clip, after the initial fish kills from draw downs. To cover up their death, they threw them back into the river so no one would see that they died.

[@dargasb]

A river is water in its loveliest form; rivers have life and sound and movement and infinity of variation, rivers are veins of the earth through which the lifeblood returns to the heart

[@40intrek]

Whats done is done, stop complaining and get out and help with the clean up. You are becoming part of the problems instead of the solutions.

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

Precisely!

[@icecreamorc]

You gotta clean out a infected wound in order for it to heal. I dunno what to tell these people. It takes time but it's already starting to get better.

[@rjay7019]

I miss visiting the area 😢 great memories from my childhood. My uncle lived on the river. His kitchen window looked out over it. I hope this project goes well 🙏

[@johnlee7085]

m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHeQfXh6lKmIjLM

[@jason94095]

What did people expect? You remove a dam and there’s no impact? They complain that it’s there, then they complain when it’s removed. Maybe slow down the removal, but then they complain about the cost of the delay. It’s a lose-lose. It takes time for nature to stabilize, just like it did when the dams were built. In a decade, I bet most of these people will be total supporters.

[@Mrbfgray]

Many may have built their lives around what was, lake side property, businesses and such. No easy way and no way to please everyone, but not as bad as what the Native tribes had to suffer since they were dismissed when over damming our rivers.

[@Mrbfgray]

It will be a beautiful river again before folks remember to chill out, lol.

[@johnlee7085]

@jason94095 Pronouns can be deceptive. You say, “They complain that it’s there, then they complain when it’s removed.” The first they is not the same as the second they. The people complaining it’s there are the people that are happy it’s gone and working to help restore the barren landscape. The people complaining about the removal are the people that wanted to keep it.

[@johnkilty5091]

@jason94095 I pay little attention to complainers. Unlike the lakes they will always be there to complain. I am really inspired and impressed with this project. I will look forward to seeing the transformation. Even in the short term. I was at Copco with a friend the day that they opened the hole in the dam.

[@jason94095]

@@johnlee7085 oh I know. You can’t satisfy everyone.

[@jamesmccreery250]

Stupid rich people with waterfront property are the only thing that matters to rich people with waterfront properties.

[@ellen4956]

It was the indigenous people who pushed for this, with stories of old people remembering when they fished there, and how the dams ruined their way of life. You can probably still find those videos right here on YT.

[@mekacorno3832]

I understand the position of the folks opposed to the removal. However the removal was not only crucial it was the right thing to do. In the long run it benefits the majority and most importantly restored the river back to its original course.

[@mikemiller9024]

The river will rejuvenate and salmon will return!!

[@gistsc]

They never returned to the San Joaquin river like all the greenies said they would. Just water wasted, sent to the ocean instead of used for farming. The west side of the valley is virtually dried up thanks to environmental madness over a fish that will never return.

[@dereks7061]

Great journalism. I really appreciated this. Awesome B Roll, tough questions asked. Impressive

[@mattsmith1137]

The CCP in China displaced 1.4 million people for the three gorges dam. Talk about total disregard for humans and the environment. Crummy as the US can be there’re glimmers of compassion for nature Ike this removal project occasionally.

[@johnlee7085]

What’s crazy is that some people have lifted China as an example of how to get things done.

[@GrandsonofKong]

@@johnlee7085 You mean steamroll the populace and how the majority of the people feel about a project?? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

[@mikeakachorlton]

ALL dam removals go through the cycle that this project is going through. I love that the locals would have preferred the heavy metal concentrations to remain and grow rather than be dealt with. This is going to turn out just as beautifully as all the other dam removals that have been going on around the world this last decade.

[@sasachiminesh1204]

The dams were illegal in the first place - they sit on stolen land and violate treaty rights that pre-exist California as a state. The dams destroyed the fish ecology that is a major economic staple for the Yurok who rightfully own the land. The farmers and residents are trespassers on stolen land, and they shed no tears for the Yurok when their land was stolen and their economy was destroyed.

[@derbywinner6316]

Mother’s nature is unbelievable. My support to live nature be natural

[@tyreeandrews5078]

No offense to the guy with the horses but I don’t think horses are Native to America. This is about restoring the national habitat that mankind manipulated and destroyed for a long time.

[@whatabouttheearth]

Well...😂... it's complicated Horses actually started in North America and then spread to what is now the eastern hemisphere, but the indigenous ate horses for food and so the already lower population of wild north American horses went extinct....then, a long time later the Spanish colonizers brought horses back to the Americas.

[@whatabouttheearth]

Well...😂... it's complicated Horses actually started in North America and then spread to what is now the eastern hemisphere, but the indigenous ate horses for food and so the already lower population of wild north American horses went extinct....then, a long time later the Spanish colonizers brought horses back to the Americas.

[@bfranco1519]

Geez us , can’t people agree in anything. Put the earth first for a change.

[@michaelsmiley15]

As people found out you can't have both it's one or the other The big snow in of 23 did so much good for the water table of the whole state

[@LittleRayOfSnshine69]

Saddens me that I won't be here in a hundred years to see it fully restored.

[@340wbymag]

All the folks whining about the dam removal had no problem ignoring the damage the dams were creating or the harm that was caused to the tribes and others living downstream. It was fine when they were having the problems. To me, that is just selfishness and ignorance. For a short time, a few years perhaps, the river may suffer some water quality issues, and then things will return to a more natural state. That's good for everyone. What is needed now is strong protection for all the river's tributaries and the creation of new wetlands within the watershed to feed cool, clean water into the river during the hot, dry summer months. California and Oregon should be returning beavers to every creek and stream within the watershed to do that and paying landowners for any damage the beavers create.

[@BrokenTablesPodcast]

Those are not wild horses if you can just walk up and let them lol

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

William Simpson is attempting to sabotage the replanting efforts around the river where the reservoirs used to be by encouraging these stupid feral farm animals to graze on all the hard work res and the tribes have been doing.

[@Oldshirt]

Any naysayers willing to comment now that salmon are *already* back on the basin?

[@stevehunter291]

The natural ecosystem will restore itself over time.

[@coyotefeather4896]

Free the river! This is a huge win, especially in the long term! If anyone has a problem with this, they should direct their frustration at the people who built the dam in the first place

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

Amen brother! Well said.

[@MargaretCraddock-hy9yw]

Wokhlew! to all that worked hard for years and years, before the die offs, to restore the Klamath.

[@nightnight7998]

The sludge they're complaining about was all still there behind the dam. Now it's finally free to do what it was suppose to do

[@branchandfoundry560]

Step 1 of omelet making: Break eggs. Hang in there, folks. It takes time.

[@mrtimmelton]

I remember a superfund project in Montana which fixed a dam outside of Missoula. There were concerns of decades of Arsenic that had leached out of the coal due to mining. I wonder if that was taken into consideration, or tested for, before they demolished these dams?

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

Extensive testing was done over the last twenty years.

[@swamprat69]

@8:40 "..multiple federal agencies.." say no more it all makes so much more sense now.

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

You sound insecure due to your lack of understanding about our government. Read a book, get educated, stop being a hater.

[@NotTheRealRustyShackleford]

​@@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396 The government dumped straight radioactive waste into the Atlantic Ocean right off the coast of New Jersey. The DOE 'lost' countless casks of Mercury in Oak Ridge TN. They were spraying it on fields to get rid of it. Kinda reminds me of those excavators dumping contaminated dirt right into the river. I honestly am shocked the native tribes are foolish enough to make a deal with the government considering the track record on broken deals and treaties. Look up the Tuskegee Trials while you're at it, and then tell me how much you trust the government.

[@mikebellmore4132]

Nice to see nature respond so quickly and efficiently! I hope the project folks can respond in a timely fashion. Who would have ever imagined that Chinook would be trying to climb the KENO fish ladder? Amazing!

[@NA_49erFan]

This is good, of course the dams have changed the ecosystem and it will take time to adjust back

[@russellstewart5414]

Those people still have their property and soon it will on one of the great salmon fishing rivers , so they aren’t going to lose any value. Start a Abnb and rent out your home during the peak fishing season. Or allow fishermen access to the river for a fee. Maybe start a guide service. Plenty of options available and it’s going to be very good for everyone

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

I couldn't agree more!👍

[@EattheApple666]

The river will heal itself, look at other places who are a year post removal and you will be happy and healthier.

[@WalkingBackwardsIntoTheFuture]

It just takes one good year of snowfall and a good spring snowmelt that will wash all the sediment to the coast giving more life to the coast.. the restoration of life as far as animals and plants will take 5-15 years but will he 10x better in the future than ever was before

[@LindsayWilson-vj1wc]

We have just recently seen what happens when dams pass their use by dates and are too expensive to maintain.

[@mike95826]

They become too expensive to maintain because un-elected bureaucrats impose regulations as a backdoor way to force people to do what they wouldn't if it was fairly debated and brought to a vote. All the virtue signaling is fine until something happens (like a flood) that was one of the many reasons why the structure was build in the first place. Recently, there seems to be a rush to destroy any "artifacts" of our history that some self appointed "do gooders" have determined doesn't fit with the way THEY want the world to be. Many of these people having not wanting to study or understand the people that they are trampling.

[@JohnMontgomery-w3x]

I think that it will eventually work out.

[@frederickheard2022]

People who blame dam removal for problems caused by the dam don’t deserve to be heard.

[@Sugarsail1]

People that don't recognize the great benefit to humanity that dams provide while worshipping fish don't deserve to be heard.

[@bullsboat1]

it will take time to heal itself

[@Tser]

This is historic. I wish we had better ways to combat the misinformation and lack of scientific literacy. In the end this is going to be better for everyone along the river -- all of the humans, including those who are so afraid right now, as well as the native plants and animals. And I hope that showing that if it can be done once, it can be done again, in many other places around the world. The fact that this project crosses state lines is a really big deal, too. I am inspired by the dedication and perseverance of the indigenous people who spearheaded this project, showing that the impossible can be done. I never thought I'd see something like this in my lifetime.

[@GlamorganManor]

Agree. If I had a magic wand, the solution would be good, free, education allowing people to be competent in an occupation where they make their living, chosen from an entire spectrum of subjects/occupations. An awareness of one's expertise in subject matter that not everyone has gives perspective about how much else we don't know. I'd also like to see a way for everyone get out of their own region for a year or two to see how other people live.

[@mickeybailey1108]

This is the best thing for the Klamath River. Just think of what the area would look like now if they had succeeded in removing the dams twenty years ago. This is a temporary problem created by the short-sighted people who installed the dams. I am sorry for the locals that have to live through the difficult first few years. I have never been so excited to spend time on the Klamath. It will be amazing to watch it recover.

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

I agree 100% This is one of the most exciting things I'll see in my life. I started working on the Klamath as a fisheries technician for the State in 1991, it's my favorite river.

[@francoutah]

Hayduke is alive?!

[@GeorgeWHaydukeIII6396]

And doing quite well, I might add!❤