The Klamath River Basin in California and Oregon has been obstructed by different dams for over 100 years. The first dam was constructed in 1908, and the last was erected in 1962. In 2002, a catastrophic fish kill resulted in over 70 thousand salmon deaths, and this kicked off the fight to restore the Klamath River Watershed to its original glory. 4 of 6 dams are slated to be removed over the next few years.
.jpg "Golden Bear at the Klamath River Bridge Highway 101")
Golden Bear at the Klamath River Bridge
on Highway 101, Northern California...
I have a Personal Feeling about the Klamath River... My Brother in Law Came all the way from Maryland to Fly Fish that River... It's a Classic Trip involving Hiring a Local Guide, Renting a Room and Eating at Restaurants...
However, in 2002, George (American Idiot) Bush the Son DIVERTED the Water to Potato Farmers in Oregon. More Water, More Potatoes, More Profit... What He Didn't Realize was that the Lack of water would KILL the Salmon... How would he know? He's just a BOUGHT Politician and the Potato Farmers Bribed Him...
anyway... The Oregon Tourist Business Lost a Fortune because... without FISH... NO Fishermen come to Visit... No Rooms Rented, No Guides Hired... and No Restaurants Selling Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner... The Bottom Line was that the Tourist Money LOST was MUCH GREATER than the Increased Profit from selling Potatoes...
I learned that the Salmon have a Five Year Cycle... They get Born, Swim to the Ocean... spend Five years out there and Then Swim Back to the Same Place that they were born... So the Fish Kill of 2002 did NOT effect the 2003, 2004, 2005, or 2006 Salmon Runs... but 2007 was a bad year to be a fish... and 2012... 2017...
I have swum in the Trinity River... it flows into the Klamath... On a drive along Highway 299 coming home I got stuck in a construction zone traffic Jam... and it was over a Hundred Degrees... NO Air Conditioning in the Car... so as soon as we were free to proceed... I drove to the First Place to Jump in the River... and BLISS!
Jerry Garcia's Father Drowned in the Trinity...
My Father, Uncle and Grandmother Camped by the Trinity When They Wanted to Save Money instead of Paying Rent... and they ate Trout FISH that They Caught in the River...
When I was a Student at Humboldt State University we had a Guest Lecturer... Derrick Jensen... Who OFTEN Spoke of Un-Damming the Klamath. He is a co-author of Deep Green Resistance, and the author of Endgame, The Culture of Make Believe, A Language Older than Words, Bright Green Lies, and many other books.
He was named one of Utne Reader’s “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World” and won the Eric Hoffer Award in 2008.
He was named one of Utne Reader’s “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World” and won the Eric Hoffer Award in 2008.
.jpg "Klamath River Bear - protest")
All Species Parade in Arcata, CA
"Un Dam the Klamath Protest"
Headline: The world’s largest dam demolition has begun. Can the dammed Klamath River finally find salvation?
https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/08/klamath-river-dams-demolition/
I met a Lot of Yurok Tribe People when I worked in the Welfare Office in Eureka.
I met a Lot of Yurok Tribe People when I worked in the Welfare Office in Eureka.
They Fish the Klamath for Salmon but Do Not Catch ALL The Fish because the Hoopa People Upstream also need to Eat... Somehow they managed to Cooperate for Thousands of Years... WISDOM...