Salmon Returning To the Klamath River

The number of salmon returning to the Klamath River after the removal of four dams this year is surprising biologists.  The first salmon was spotted above the former J.C. Boyle Dam on October 16th.  Since then, 115 chinook and 42 reds have been counted.  Barry McCovey, with the Yurok Tribe, said restoring the rivers is a learning experience, and the fish are the teachers.

"These fish are helping to inform managers on what restoration actions can be taken to help them."

That'll include more work building river channels and replanting along the riverbanks.  The tribe’s Amy Cordalis said success means having enough fish to meet a variety of needs.

"Our goal is to restore those wild salmon runs to be able to support the ecosystem and the people who have been dependent on it for generations, but also the new people who are here now too, so recreational fisheries and offshore fisheries as well."

Cordalis says the additional fish will also help Orcas off the Oregon and California coasts.  The Klamath River was the third largest salmon producing river in the lower 48 states.

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