Klamath River Dam Removal-CopCo No.1

Klamath River Dam Removal-CopCo No.1, and Copco Lake.
I also had time to swing by JC Boyle on my way out, a few short shots included at the end…enjoy!

[@gaius_enceladus]

Great to see the grasses coming back in the meadows there! In five years' time (the blink of an eye in nature's time-scale) this land will be covered in grasses and will be unrecognisable as being a former reservoir. It's amazing how fast nature can come back when given a chance!

[@georgehaydukeiii6396]

absolutely!

[@billsmith5109]

Spring 2025 there’ll be TV news clips discussing the wildflowers on the re-exposed flats. By 2026 someone will be advertising come see the Klamath River Spring Flower Festival. Are the flats to be a new state park?

[@johnkilty1419]

@@billsmith5109 Every channel has its Eeyore.

[@mickeybailey1108]

I have watched this unfold for decades. My son was in school in Klamath Falls during the summer that water was not released for the fish and the death was overwhelming. I hope for a healthy river and that this spreads to all people who will be affected by the dams being removed.

[@stevehunter291]

Great footage, this is so exciting. Happy for the fish!

[@samstheman6178]

You mean all the fish they killed?

[@ShastaTodd]

@@samstheman6178 haters gonna hate - sigh

[@johnkilty5091]

@@samstheman6178 Are you talking about the fish that died in the lakes every year? From water that was too warm and filled with algae? Those fish?

[@georgehaydukeiii6396]

​@@samstheman6178 Give it up. Why are you such a hateful, miserable, negative person? Get a grip. Do some real research. You have been listening to the wrong people for way too long! Leave the dark side Sam. Step into the light. Have faith in yourself. You can do it!

[@AdventuresWest]

​@@samstheman6178There's still native trout above that haven't had access to the salt since the dams went in. There's still all the anadromous fish in the ocean. Killing all the non-native fish in the river is part of the restoration. So they lost a years crop of hatchery fish - that's a drop in the bucket. To make an omelet you gotta break some eggs. There's 3 solid years of Salmon growing in the ocean ready to run the bar, soon to have access to hundreds of miles of spawn habitat lost to them for decades. The only way to look at it is as a win buddy.

[@TheFarmanimalfriend]

This gives me hope . I am very thankful these people did not listen to the naysayers. Fight the good fight, sometimes you lose but keep fighting anyway. 👍👍👍

[@georgehaydukeiii6396]

those naysayers.....🙄 It seems like the low information, ignorant people are always the loudest.

[@johnkilty1419]

@@georgehaydukeiii6396 Right?

[@Swordfernsteve]

Thanks for the video! Pretty excited to see how it all recovers in time!

[@mikebellmore4132]

A dream coming true! C'mon Chinook, Coho and steelhead!

[@brian9438]

Since the removal of copco no. 2, I'm impressed with the speed of this whole thing. Someone said that all the dams will out by end of October 2024, and I didn't believe it. At this rate, they might be right.

[@carlinglin7289]

Looks like they're making really good progress. It's very impressive.

[@georgehaydukeiii6396]

This project is really well thought out and has a lot of really experienced groups working on it. Everyone involved is completely committed to making sure this whole thing goes smoothly and successfully. A lot of people everywhere are watching.

[@kjflyte5088]

It's a job , that was bid to be fully finished by fall so it isn't surprising at all...

[@brian9438]

@@kjflyte5088 It's surprising.

[@Lindleyferchel]

What a beautiful valley and meadow it will be! Thanks to all that made it happen for future generations to enjoy. Peace

[@georgehaydukeiii6396]

Seems like this dam will be the biggest challenge to remove. Thats a lot of concrete, and I heard they used railroad track rails as rebar and its really tough to cut through. I hope they get it out in time for the returning Chinook this fall. it's going to be really fun watching this River recover.

[@DullBoyJack]

Any chance you could get out there TODAY 5/16 or TOMORROW 5/17? They are going to be doing some blasting on Copco 1, could be some interesting drone shots. Just got this email: * This evening (5/16/24) between approximately 5:00 and 6:00 P.M., there will be a large blast at Copco 1 Dam. * Tomorrow, around 1:00 P.M., another blast will be performed at the same location.

[@tclems]

Would love to get footage of that, unfortunately I will not be down that way.

[@DullBoyJack]

@@tclems Understandable. Thanks for all the footage you've gotten so far, its the best I've seen!

[@tclems]

@@DullBoyJack my pleasure!

[@Maritafeb15]

Love watching the restoration of this river and its flood plain and vegetation , so different from ours in Australia.

[@footbru]

I'm intrigued by the tunnel - which looks natural, rather than man-made - to the side of the dam. Anyone know how it happens to be there??

[@jasminelindros8923]

It's not natural, it was blasted into the rock to allow the river to bypass the dam site while the dam was being built.

[@taznz1]

It's the original diversion tunnel used to build the dam; it would have been blasted around the site of the dam before construction started, the river would have been diverted through it as it is now while the dam was under constructed, and it would have been plugged once the dam was completed. As it was only needed temporarily, they just left it in its rough rock state.

[@joshuaisrael2494]

Great footage. COPCO 1 Dam is being removed very quickly. Looks like old diversion tunnel has been re-opened. Do you or can you get any footage of Iron Gate Dam being removed? Finally, treat the locals well. They have lost alot here! William Simpson has some great articles out there.

[@tclems]

The only update I have of Iron gate is from 3 weeks ago. I’m unsure of how much has been removed at this point.

[@adrianwapcaplet2773]

That's a great comment: treat the locals well. When we initiate big changes - no matter how beneficial they are to salmon and downstream residents - we need to consider the impact on people living on the shores of former reservoirs. If we can support their communities after the dams are gone, they might realize that their way of life has not ended for them, but changed, and they could become advocates for future dam removal projects elsewhere - with the message that 'we're still doing ok'.

[@dayofthejackyl]

what have the locals lost? Looks like there has been a lot gained...?

[@adrianwapcaplet2773]

@@dayofthejackyl I agree much has been gained, and the dam removal is a wonderful project in som many ways. But the locals did lose their waterfront access, sense of community and likely much of their property values. Don't get me wrong - the benefits of the project far outweigh the detriments - but if we are to continue with more similar projects (and be good people), we should consider and work with affected landowners in order to get their support and ensure they don't feel discarded.

[@dayofthejackyl]

@@adrianwapcaplet2773 I’ve read that the water quality of those lakes was very poor, especially in the summer. That they were sometimes green from algae blooms. I’m sure they weren’t like that all the time but it seems like having a river running through your property (and suddenly you own more land!) is going to be a beautiful exchange in the long run. I mean, if the property value is going down because of all this, maybe I should go see what’s available! I’ve always missed living in California ever since I moved away.

[@lazaruslazuli6130]

Won't it be great when trees and grasses have re-taken those barren hillsides and mud flats in fifty years?

[@stevet8121]

Where the dams are now will be a good place to put gill nets and fish buyers.

[@BalkanTimberMan]

Lot less than that

[@johnkilty5091]

50 years? Seedlings are sprouting on the banks of iron gate as of today. in 50 years most people will not know there were ever any dams on this river.

[@georgehaydukeiii6396]

​@@stevet8121 No, way too far upriver. Only toothless inbred trailer trash eats salmon this far upriver. Ishi Pishi falls is about as far upriver you want to catch salmon. The C'waam & Koptu are what are good way up here. Everyone knows that....🙄

[@AdventuresWest]

I'd recommend watching the video. Grasses and vegetation has sprouted to the riverside all over. It happens very quick. I grew up fishing Shasta Lake all year. Shasta fluctuates a lot and if the lake is down, grasses and Mullen explodes all over mud flats at every opportunity. This will be tree'd in with Willow and other trees in the blink of an eye.

[@williamlloyd3769]

Little by little, bit by bit!

[@vmk99218]

I am confused. I thought California needs more reserve water because of shortages in the summer. So they are removing dams so the water goes straight to the Pacific. How does that work?

[@jasminelindros8923]

Reservoirs that are mostly filled with sediment do not have the ability to store water. Sediment does not water crops, supply residential homes, protect against downstream floods, or generate electrical power. It does, however, erode the heck out of turbines. Eventually, the cost of maintaining the turbines becomes more expensive than the revenue generated by those turbines, and from then on the dam loses money. Nobody, neither dam owners nor taxpayers, want to pay for those ongoing losses.

[@vmk99218]

@@jasminelindros8923 So the entire reservoir was full of sediment. I thought normally only behind the dam would be full of sediment. No one used the reservoir for a water source. Spill gates can be installed to dump sediment. Not all dams have to generate electricity and they can be used for flood control. When you need water it is like gold. I thought California needed water.

[@jasminelindros8923]

@@vmk99218 It's the other way around. Sediment is carried into the reservoir by the river, and most of that sediment is dumped right where the river enters the still water of the reservoir. This builds a delta down into the reservoir from its upstream end, and that delta grows, year after year, from the upstream end of the reservoir down canyon towards the dam. By the time the lowest leading edge of that delta reaches the dam, the upper 2/3rds of the reservoir may be choked with sediment. The dam could still generate power, but turbines take water from the bottom of the dam and so the sediment will begin to erode the turbine blades, bearings, inlets, outlets, and valves. Maintenance and replacement costs will skyrocket. Sediment drastically reduces a reservoir's ability to contain floods. If a flood event had hit the original reservoir and added (just for example) 10% of the total reservoir capacity in a week, it might have raised the water level by five or six feet. However, if 2/3rds of the reservoir is now filled with mud, 10% of the original capacity will be 30% of the remaining capacity and the water level could jump twenty feet. This drastically increases the chance of overtopping the dam. "Spill gates" at the dam cannot release sediment from the upper reaches of the reservoir. Pretty much ALL dams in California are used for water supply, with upcanyon reservoirs like this used to store water until it can be released to downcanyon reservoirs where end users begin their water diversions.

[@LiterallyOverTheHillAdventures]

These were private dams used solely for power generation. They were neither used for water storage nor irrigation.

[@jasminelindros8923]

@@vmk99218 My earlier reply has been censored. I will break it into three pieces and re-post it. Sediment is carried into the reservoir by the river, and most of that sediment is dumped right where the river enters the still water of the reservoir. This builds a delta down into the reservoir from its upstream end, and that delta grows, year after year, from the upstream end of the reservoir down canyon towards the dam. By the time the lowest leading edge of that delta reaches the dam, the upper 2/3rds of the reservoir may be choked with sediment. The dam could still generate power, but turbines take water from the bottom of the dam and so the sediment will begin to erode the turbine blades, bearings, inlets, outlets, and valves. Maintenance and replacement costs will skyrocket.

[@jimmiller5600]

The EU removed 500 dams last year.

[@pchinnIII]

What is with the God Music

[@georgehaydukeiii6396]

😂

[@raymondl8392]

Are people trying to creat water shortages to sell high priced water

[@ShastaTodd]

once again, the dams were "run of river" so not for water storage.

[@johnkilty5091]

If you buy it in a bottle it is more expensive than gas.

[@georgehaydukeiii6396]

Only idiots buy bottled water.

[@frankmarin5421]

Just wait God will show you all are wrong.

[@oldmanx1234]

A colossal mistake. Just as the Elwha river dam removal was.

[@paulsaunders-k9q]

They were built for a reason one day the reason we’ll be remembered

[@jimmiller5600]

Why?

[@jimmiller5600]

Why?

[@Kilgore_Trout_jr]

@@paulsaunders-k9q trying to appear prophetic yet comes off ignorant. Kudos, showing off that American public education.

[@tdabreo80]

troll

[@georgehaydukeiii6396]

with all the terrible things going on in the world right now, this makes me really happy and gives me hope that humans actually are capable of doing good things.❤

[@samstheman6178]

Like destroying an environment that was well enough alone

[@ShastaTodd]

@@samstheman6178 haters gonna hate - sigh

[@johnkilty5091]

@@samstheman6178 Getting rid of two algae filled fish killing lakes is a bad thing?

[@dayofthejackyl]

@@samstheman6178 yes, that's what happened 100 years ago when they put these dams in.

[@johnkilty1419]

@@samstheman6178 Wrong! They tried doing nothing for years. It did not work. Now that they have begun fixing the toxic lime green lake water you start to complain. The water looked like antifreeze. Look up the word destroyed.

[@aldenmoffatt162]

right on!! Thanks for posting!

[@PCMenten]

All that’s needed now are some beavers.

[@nobrainsnoheadache2434]

3:30 the tree that wasn't a tree but actually was a tree :)

[@martinsnow2913]

Well done video. What's the source of the music? Let those dam things go.

[@tclems]

Thank you. Music was sourced from a couple different editing apps

[@duotronic6451]

That's a lot of sediment.

[@johnisbell574]

I hope they replant those beautiful redwood trees and Hemlocks

[@TimothyKlus]

Sucks for those that bought lake front property and now have years of a mud pit and lose of water storage, boating and fishing

[@georgehaydukeiii6396]

Did you ever visit Copco reservoir in late July or August? It was a toxic blue-green algae cesspool. I'd personally much rather live on one of the best salmon rivers on the west coast. The Klamath is also one of the most abused rivers, but riparian plants grow quickly and soon it will be getting back to its original condition and the salmon/steelhead populations will recover too.

[@masterspin7796]

Tunnell it out and make a bridge..

[@KennyWatson-mu9to]

It's OK Now! Let's see if there going to be enough water for the Fish to return. Or if The toxic levels are good enough for the fish to even survive.

[@amandao.8043]

If you look at the Elwha River, it took ~2yrs for the river health to come back. Fish plummeted for a period bc of the sediment but now they're flourishing again. It also created a larger delta area along the coast which is adding to biodiversity in the region.

[@johnkilty5091]

@KennyWatson-mu9to You are changing your tune. Thankfully. 2 months ago all you would say is. It is dead, all dead, forever dead. Now you are saying let's see. I say that too. Let's see.

[@mikebellmore4132]

The river, rock and fish will win! Why not understand that?

[@John-oz5xe]

Good bye old friend !!!!

[@AdventuresWest]

I spent many a day on Copko as a kid and quite a few as an adult. Great memories. Catfish, leaches on me, literal boat-loads of Yellow Perch, monstrous Rainbow Trout, buckets of crawdads from above the store. And some huge bucks coming right into camp at Mallard Cove. I'll still have the memories, but what's right is right. I'd 100 percent rather have the memories only and the river restored for native fish.