Restoring a River
Spring at the largest dam removal project in history — part two of a three-part series on the Klamath River
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Spring at the largest dam removal project in history — part two of a three-part series on the Klamath River
Friday, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation did a blast on Copco no 1, kickstarting the removal of the structure. The KRRC estimates it will be out by the end of August; in the coming weeks, the walkway and gate will be removed.
The initial drawdown of the reservoirs on the Klamath River is complete, and not without its bumps in the road. Now, commence the healing of a watershed.
In January, water held behind massive dams on the Klamath River began to be released in preparation for dam removal. The river has been reconnected where the Copco 1. reservoir once was for the first time in over a hundred years with the return of these flows, called the drawdown phase.
Copco 1, the oldest of the three remaining dams on the Klamath River, was breached Tuesday.