Largest dam removal project in U.S. history aims to help revive America’s salmon population

The largest dam removal project in U.S. history is happening along the Klamath River, which flows from southern Oregon to the Pacific Ocean. The project serves a crucial role in helping to revive America’s salmon population. Last year, the Pacific salmon season was canceled.
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[@ericf9531]

The dams weren't taken down due to an ecological reason or to conservation reasons, it was only taken down due to the company's losing money. Doing the right thing for the completely wrong reasons.

[@terrellbradshaw3504]

This 💯

[@200555280]

Money talk the loudest. Its costs to demolish the dam. Let’s celebrate this anyway.

[@carlsaganlives6086]

Still a victory, right?

[@Clark42EoC]

That's false. It was native American fishing rights and its only happening because of a Yurok lawyer fighting hard for it.

[@silentmajority8365]

@@Clark42EoC More like 28 dollars a pound rights

[@kellypennix8745]

They didn’t care.

[@Swalker20659]

They didn’t give a dam.

[@MaekarManastorm]

They still don't

[@liamjohnson2474]

We did this with the Elwha river in Washington. The Salmon returned, as did almost all the native species and the vital spawning grounds were restored. We have already proved that dam removal works, now all we have to do is save the fisheries

[@LilliLamour]

That's wonderful.

[@joshuauriarte452]

It also raises water levels back to their natural levels.

[@johnwscarpenter]

This doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Something is deeply wrong here with the logic and reasoning of dam removal. A dam is simply a tool for controlling water flow. It is in no way the fault of the dam that salmon stocks are down. It is water management, or the lack thereof, downriver that is the culprit. Too much water use, disparate water pricing between agricultural, industrial, and residential use. The never ending fights over water rights. These are the issues that must be addressed, which must include the needs of natural and commercial fish hatcheries. Removing a dam is pointless and takes away a valuable asset in water management and control. Foolish. (ps. duplicate post above)

[@pitichiaba]

How long did it take to restore the salmon population?

[@danielwhyatt3278]

That is absolutely brilliant. I hope this one can also be a huge success.👏🏼

[@Deeplycloseted435]

So it has nothing to do with the environment, salmon, or the people that depend on the river, rather they are outdated and inefficient at producing electricity? That checks out.

[@carbonking53]

59% of Canada's power comes from hydroelectric power.

[@ritamariekelley4077]

Thank You for all of your hard work. I'm so happy for you that it's finally happening.I wish you many years to enjoy the river you rescued.

[@IanCthrwd]

Business suit with tennis shoes…..

[@AAAAAAHHHHHHHH1]

I bet you’re the type to have a disgusted look on your face and stare at someone for way too long because they have blue hair🤣

[@IanCthrwd]

Nope. Sure you want to look good on camera…least he wasn’t wearing black knee-high socks and sandals.

[@AAAAAAHHHHHHHH1]

@@IanCthrwd I’m sure if he looked unprofessional, someone would’ve told him before going in front of the camera.

[@brianag9726]

Thank you for this story! I will be sharing it with my 5th graders tomorrow. They are following this project since I made them aware of the issue a few weeks ago we had a debate about whether the dams should be removed or not.

[@JayBee-cr8jm]

They posted this story on the internet to generate revenue. CBS News is profit driven media.

[@loragunning5394]

Um...kinda a moot point, given that the decision to remove the dams has already been made and the processes involved are already ongoing. What would have been more of a lesson to your 5th graders, IMO, is to debate the issue back when the decisions to remove the dams had not yet been made. That being said, I do applaud your bringing attention to the minds of our younger generations both the pros and cons, and the consequences, of what these types of major decisions entail. Critical thinking is not always a life skill taught in school these days.

[@halfdome4158]

😂Perhaps you should read up on the Klamath dam disaster. The removal results are an ecological disaster. All brought to you by crooked dems. Kids should know what happens when crooks are in charge.The California Globe.has been covering this. Utter destruction, death and fraud.

[@pilot41186]

Proof teachers are flawed

[@halfdome4158]

@@pilot41186 My comment deleted because the news story lied. Look at the California Globe newspaper online for results of what happened when they destroyed the Klamath dams. An Environ disaster.

[@robmilovich]

Its a good start. But we need to somehow deal with all of the foreign commercial fishing boats, of the over harvesting that is done just outside of the international waters (12 miles) off our shores.

[@davidsalo8397]

There are many reasons for the downfall of Chinook salmon, up and down the coast. Even in Alaska where dams do not exist. Let's look at the big picture.

[@budm2528]

You should look up Exclusive Economic Zone for starters, international treaties as well, then I'd love to see your "data" on the foreign overharvesting taking place of US shores.

[@bardigan1]

@@davidsalo8397 I think that was the point.

[@andyjohnson3790]

Sea Shepard to the rescue

[@griffinspeak2159]

Thank You Leif ❤

[@randiclark1]

Yes! The best is yet to come! Good reporting.

[@FlyTech541]

I’ve fished the upper Klamath in all my videos and I can say it was the most beautiful place ever catching 20 trout watching fish eat on this river was amazing I love the Klamath river

[@rubyquail]

Thank God. Been wishing for this for decades.

[@lifeisgood7719]

Thank you Native people! Power to the people!

[@brianhoefer7148]

I grew up in that area. There used to be far more rain fall and snow fall in the early 1980's. I have snowmobiled Northern Siskiyou County every month of the year in the early 80's. That will never happen again for decades.

[@davidsalo8397]

The upper Klamath basin has been a hot spot for reduced precipitation recently. In effect, climate change has targeted this area. The conflict between farmers in the upper basin and biological needs will continue. Another aspect of the situation that doesn't get discussed.

[@Swalker20659]

That's a big dam job.

[@seeharvester]

I had a big dam job this morning. It must have been all that fiber I had yesterday.

[@koholohan3478]

This is so wonderful.

[@camarogirl1369]

This is an awesome story!! The State of Utah is looking at saving the Great Salt Lake, I hope that will happen! They also need to save the Bonneville Salt Flats since there is tons of salt being lost and not replaced naturally. We are our own worst enemy.

[@js9522]

The main issue with the Great Salt Lake is the more than 1 million people that have moved to Utah in the past 20 years. Much of the water that used to feed into the Great Salt Lake is being diverted to supply water to this dramatic increase in population.

[@harleyv1969]

He said their best days are ahead of them....❤❤❤😊. ... FAITH HOPE LOVE

[@wildlyunrulyadventures3942]

"They would have known that had they asked us. But nobody asked us." May the salmon thrive once again. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@peterstevens6555]

Kia Ora & Good Afternoon from Unsworth Heights, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand ... Another Great Video Bro.

[@jeromedamian5740]

I'm so grateful it finally came true the natives have been fighting for decades upon decades and generations upon generations to have that dam removed. I remember in 2002 when they shut off the water, and they killed thousands upon thousands of salmon , steelhead, and trout . I walked that river of death. All for greed . They need to shut down the salmon fisheries for a while until the population is at a substantial balance again.

[@kellyemmanuel6888]

What an awesome story to hear! Thank you so much for fighting that fight. Each One Teach One🌎

[@ryanbarry899]

God bless those who suffered from that dam, and all the other dams too. Water reservoirs can be built underground where evaporation isn’t an issue, also greenhouse gases from microbial organisms would be cut significantly.

[@tomclayton6875]

They say there was a time when salmon ran so thick you could cross the river and never touch bottom. The dam builders didn't care about the natives, in fact they did what they could, just like with the buffalo, to deny a native population of their main source of food. Maybe they're taking down the dams now for monetary reasons, but the chance now presents itself to restore a once bountiful river. I hope other projects will follow. Even places like the Salton Sea could spectacularly be turned into a healthy body of water if inlets and outlets could be connected to the Pacific. That would transform a whole section of the state into something productive rather than the wasteland we've let it become.

[@edwardolaie]

Amazing

[@joemanly9519]

Thank God

[@silentmajority8365]

Yeah Salmon $28 dollars a pound

[@C_A_B]

what does that guy have to do with it?

[@ralphieboy9596]

TRULY AND TOTALLY!!! Make America great again and give the land back to the people.

[@diyjeff1838]

Which people?

[@lagodelbago]

If that is in reference to Trump, he wants to build more dams not tear them down.

[@diyjeff1838]

@@lagodelbago hydroelectric damns are the best forms of generating clean power. Trump sounds smart.

[@lagodelbago]

@@diyjeff1838 we need a healthy balance between the environment and power, including an upgrade to our outdated electric grid. Trump would provide none of that

[@diyjeff1838]

@@lagodelbago democrats have done none of that. Infrastructure has completely been destroyed under democrat policies. Name one aspect of this country that has improved over the last 4 years.

[@woodsonjane]

A good story!

[@sallytidwell7804]

Best wishes for the people who are dependent on the river and the surrounding area of it! This Earth 🌎 Day they can celebrate!

[@j.salaslilkingdom9891]

The rivers are the arteries of the planet and we’re clogging them

[@jimkelehan1366]

Good! Live in harmony with nature!

[@Maybe1Someday]

Damn...

[@bobenton8841]

Thank Goodness!! 🙌

[@CaesarBro]

Klamath Lake has farming lobby runoff making it unsafe to swim in. That’s what’s coming down the river.

[@josephkanakry7040]

Great to see them undo the problems they created

[@andrewromero5008]

It has taken decades, but man can correct his mistake.

[@reneeparker7475]

More dams need to be removed, especially in the PNW.

[@thedivide3688]

65 were removed in 2022, 80 were removed in 2023. More are getting removed than installed. Potentially some 30,000 dams are past their prime and not doing much so about 1/3 of the current live dams might likely be on the chopping block eventually.

[@PhaseSkater]

exactly! we need more coal plants out here!

[@hotttt28]

Tennis shoes ?

[@AAAAAAHHHHHHHH1]

Tennis shoes are a thing, believe it or not😮

[@christopherarizola1071]

Thats awesome bringing back wildlife ❤❤

[@KJ-vc3sw]

Whatever the road to get here, this is encouraging news. Nature has the right to exist on its own terms, and for its own purposes. The proper role of human beings is to work in community with nature, not to master, plunder, exploit, and destroy.

[@JosephPetrie-ud2wh]

Wonderful news.

[@forestc6014]

Put on some dam dress shoes at work, Chad. Those sneakers look like you’ve been living in a van down by the Klamath.

[@AAAAAAHHHHHHHH1]

Someone’s choice of shoes has really affected you. You need a hug?

[@Ry_Guy]

Did someone say free hugs?! Count me in

[@mmca2622]

Yeah, there's something to be said for looking professional at work. I wouldn't wear dress shoes with sweats to work out at the gym, and I wouldn't wear tennies with a dress suit to my job on a national news show. There's also something to be said for norms.

[@AAAAAAHHHHHHHH1]

@@mmca2622 it’s just a pair of shoes…

[@mmca2622]

@@AAAAAAHHHHHHHH1 No, it's not. It's a pair of sport shoes in a professional work place. Appearances matter.

[@SeeLasSee]

To be fair, my small supposedly progressive city in Maryland never asks us before destroying old trees that are healthy or diverting streams. It’s institutional culture. The management and bureaucratic class.

[@uwrossl]

It's a dam shame they didn't listen but it makes for good dam story

[@bobzelley5100]

the utility company was done with the four dams and were smart to get others to think it was their idea and made the rate payers pay $ 500 million.

[@gregmiller9710]

very good!

[@williamleonardbaker8279]

I love the weather

[@JabezGill]

“We believe it may be the largest damn removal…” Damn, they’re right… that’s a large removal.

[@marchingovertheedge]

Make America have Great Dad's again

[@petermazzella346]

They did not show any pictures of the massive amounts of silt that have been released, which have smother the river bottom and banks. Why not?

[@Clark42EoC]

Thank the Yurok tribe.

[@nolongerblocked6210]

It's about time

[@Milesfrode]

Quit using decimated incorrectly!...unless its only reduced by 10% (Long Live The Klamath!!!)

[@rosethornil]

So true. It’s like the word “peruse” which means “to study intensely.” People use “peruse” as a synonym for “browse.” English is fast becoming a lost art.

[@denniscarver7681]

What does it mean for the flooding issues? Costs alot to put back.

[@99problemsbutafishaintone35]

Great News!

[@tkyap2524]

Building and removing, both cost plenty. In the end, better to leave nature alone.

[@kaseyc5078]

Yea let’s not ever build anything….

[@KK-nl6zq]

Please bring down the price of sushi. I love salmon

[@jamesspalten5977]

Go Fish.

[@nlp6082]

Great story that I hope ends well.

[@ronkirk5099]

It will take a while for all the sediment build up to be flushed out, but restoration will happen eventually.

[@chriskelly6559]

If we give this part of earth back to Mother, she'll fix it.

[@POLLUSKY]

Not until the financials were affected is that they think of nature. Typical corporation.

[@ALLforROME]

"Soooo is this a damn damn or a god damn" - Beavis

[@paulzeigler7616]

Is that news cast person actually wearing sneakers with a suit? What a clown.

[@Xxxxxrrr6464]

Good on them for making it right

[@jjrr2273]

They are ZFG for 'doing right' they are 100% profit driven

[@russellhopson1658]

The rivers will never be the same. If and when you take the Dam down. There is yo much silt being held by the dam.😮

[@michaelmurphy6195]

After fifty five years I moved from California to Texas. When I crossed the Colorado River for the last time it looked like an open sewer. I never looked back.

[@jeremyjackson8196]

How things used to be. WOAH

[@kenhurley4441]

So when the lights go out they'll wish they had the dams back.

[@adsrentals]

It will work until California redirects the water to southern California instead of the Pacific.

[@matthew3136]

Healthy Rivers are a good thing.

[@tjnorrisofficial]

AMAZING story. And one of the best places to white water raft as well.

[@jordyb57]

How disrespectful!!

[@sallytidwell7804]

Restoration of the Intended flow!

[@silentmajority8365]

TRANSLATION fishing industry need twenty dollar a pound Salmon

[@Honest-Words]

Oh, you mean undoing man's ideas because it is affecting the earth? Weird

[@Memessssss]

Nice

[@tenaguin1054]

Living in that area in Northern California, 1989 to 1994, the Salmon was an issue then so curious why it took them so long? The Salmon need as much help as possible, Human interference is having far to much affect globally. We need to think beyond ourselves and our luxeries just because we to get something. Save the Salmon in the Klamath River.

[@jdebell7068]

Now just get rid of the hoover dam

[@toddweaver2704]

Ok as a reporter you would think CBS would have talked a little about how the electricity from 4 dams was replaced. Did they build 4 coal power plants, natural gas, wind, solar, What are the economic impacts is there less electricity in the system. Does it cost more to electrify the area? You are mad that no one did an environmental impact, but no one is doing an economic impact. Saying four dams produced so little power does not tell you how much was subtracted, it also did not touch on what could have been done to make dams more efficient. I mean we are all typing on electrified gadgets are we asking were that power came from? Lot more than CBS reported. Pretty poor journalism from the point of Who, what, when, were, what effects.

[@jimmygarrihy7806]

That's the best news here in my life time Thank you America

[@user-High-IQ769]

About time, clean that river up and get the fish running again, as they should

[@waynebrowning3416]

Dam what a story

[@reversalmushroom]

Why did the dams start generating little power? That doesn't make sense. I've never heard that before. The amount of power a building generates isn't going to go down; the dams should generate the same amount of power the entire time.

[@saoirsecameron]

Cost of upkeep to aging infrastructure does go up over time, so with a flat rate of energy generation and increasing rate of maintenance eventually they became economically unfeasible.

[@mattparlante6680]

"Climate Watch?'"....... Like watching snow melt

[@jamesgizasson]

What an ironic choice of words! XD

[@lauriekash3980]

Nature has rules Hope for the best.

[@MrMosesnijmeh]

No one really understands what their actions are going to do to damage the area. They are totally unaware of their actions. This totally sucks because it is more about irrational emotional beliefs vs logical reasons.

[@AAAAAAHHHHHHHH1]

What is going to damage the area?

[@XenophiliusScheissbock]

I could have told Sleepy Joe that cancelling the Keystone Pipeline would cause many job losses. But nobody asked me.

[@reversalmushroom]

If water is still being diverted to farms, then won't the river still be at lower capacity?

[@stephenjacks8196]

Geothermal on Oregon's volcanic Cascade Mountains would substitute for the dams.

[@SAGUY1971]

Will be amazing to see this river following its natural course , hopefully repopulated with salmon in a few years time . Def a good feel story.

[@RayTay02]

"Where can I get some dam bait?" (If you know, you know).

[@russellbowen3238]

Electricity is just a bonus. The dams were built for flood control.

[@georgehaydukeiii6396]

You have it backwards Russell! It's the other way around, trust me, I live there and have worked on those dams for many years!😅

[@davidsalo8397]

There are few people that live in the floodplain on the Klamath River downstream. No cities are at risk of flooding. Faulty argument.

[@PeteCH701]

As has been already stated- those dams were not used for water management.

[@user-yn9fj7kj2n]

In the 40s the farmers started using ground water for crops and it was believed that the farmers would use too much water and there would not be enough water for humans and animals.How many people looked at the archived news to see what was happening around Klamath Falls before the dams the damns were built?

[@dc1544]

They are mainly doing this to save Orcas. There is a breed of Orca whales that only eat Salmon at certain times of year and no salmon means they go extinct. Many do not know but there are many different breeds of Orcas with big DNA differences which means they eat different foods.

[@GymLone]

sucks that it was the fact that they were no longer making money that inspired this. humans man...

[@SideYardCat]

I hope everyone who supported this stops using electricity generated by coal. They’re destroying beautiful Appalachian mountains for that coal.

[@shalomes2012]

Release of the sediment killed 850,000 salmon

[@Gn4rkillz]

Where can I get some dam bait???

[@choosesomethingfun5608]

Now how about bringing back the buffalo as well?

[@dougadams9419]

Bison. Today, population estimates range from approximately 200,000 to 500,000 bison, with roughly 30,000 living in the wild and the rest in commercial herds.

[@choosesomethingfun5608]

@@dougadams9419 Not even close to the original numbers, but yeah, I get it. BTW, 90% of those 'domestic' buffalo are hybridized with cattle. Point is, we completely destroyed a way of life and means of survival for several cultures, just like we did with the salmon, yet some points are lost on others. BTW, I was just wondering how much of an uproar would be caused if we found out there were only 30,000 wild salmon left?

[@deanruckle]

If you look at what is happening to the salmon of Alaska (with not dams) you will see that over fishing in international waters is the cause of falling salmon populations.

[@mtbalpinecounty]

💪

[@x-men69-96]

Why don’t you restock them? Add more babies to the river

[@jojopuppyfish]

Farm raised fish seem to react to the wild different than wild fish. In otherwords, farm raised fish to restock the rivers is a bad idea

[@x-men69-96]

@@jojopuppyfish nah, you add them as babies. There will be no diff

[@eh3477]

Salmon fry are released into most major CA salmon streams in order to assist their populations. Once the stream conditions have settled down, they will probably be planted by next year. Salmon fry are raised in hatcheries, often regulated/run by state fish & wildlife agencies, and are different from "farm raised" adult fish, which are often found in somewhat toxic environmental conditions, and are not supposed to be released into the wild.

[@diyjeff1838]

This has been a total joke. More wasted momey.