When the first of four hydroelectric dams was constructed in 1912 on the Klamath Basin in Oregon, US, it marked the end of Chinook salmon migration up the river.
Now, more than 100 years later, the fish are returning thanks to the largest dam removal project in US history, which was finally completed in September. By mid-October, conservationists spotted migrating salmon on the river’s tributaries.
“Seeing salmon spawning above the former dams fills my heart,” says Joseph L. James, chairman of the Yurok Tribe.
“Our salmon are coming home. Klamath Basin tribes fought for decades to make this day a reality because our future generations deserve to inherit a healthier river from the headwaters to the sea.”
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