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Klamath News

08/27/10 --MKWC Organizes Restoration Tour

The Mid Klamath Watershed Council with the help of their AmeriCorps member organized a tour to highlight the restoration efforts in the Mid Klamath subbasin for natural resource professionals and congressional representatives. See the article in Siskiyou Daily for the whole story.

02/19/10--Klamath Salmon "Will be Back"

On Thursday, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the chief executive of the utility PacifiCorp, Greg Abel, and three Native American tribes signed agreements outlining the removal of the four  Klamath River dams. Read more in this article from the New York Times.

11/5/09--Chinook Spawning in Previously Dry Scott River Reaches

Thanks to the efforts of the Scott River Water Trust--California's first-ever water trust--flow has been returned to some of the Scott River's previously dewatered reaches.  Chinook salmon are taking advantage of the situation and spawning in this key Klamath tributary.  Read more about this exciting turn of events here in the Siskiyou Daily News. 

9/30/09--Draft Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement Released

PacificCorp, local, state, tribal and federal partners have reached a draft agreement on a proposal to remove four dams on the Klamath River, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced recently.  The Siskiyou Daily News has the story and more.  Click here to read part one of a discussion among agency reps about the KSHA; click here to read parts two and three.

9/26/09-- Biologists Fear Fish Kill in Scott and Shasta

The low-water (and no-water in some spots) situation in these key Klamath tributaries has scientists worried about the spread of disease in stranded salmon.  Read the story in the Eureka Times-Standard.

9/09--Key Spawning Habitat for Klamath Salmon Going Dry

As the Scott and Shasta rivers, once a source of key spawning habitat for threatened coho salmon, dry up to a trickle in the late summer heat, agency scientists worry about the future of fish in these water-starved Klamath tributaries.  The San Francisco Chronicle has the story.  

9/09--Obama Administration Reveals Salmon Plan for Columbia, Snake Rivers

Not exactly Klamath news, but the Obama Administration's salmon plan (or biological opinion) for the Columbia and Snake rivers may foreshadow how the Obama administration may address Klamath River fisheries issues.  The Administration is directing agencies to research removal of the lower four Snake River dams.  Click here to view the 42-page document.

8/09--Cyanobacterial Exposure Remains a Health Concern in Klamath Reservoir

If you're thinking about jumping into the Klamath, you might want to think twice.  At a recent meeting, the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors discussed the results of a study regarding recreational exposure to microcystin--a liver toxin and neurotoxin produced by blooms of blue-green algae--in reservoirs behind three Klamath River dams. Read the article in the Siskiyou Daily News here.

8/09--Suction Dredge Mining Made Illegal in California

Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed a bill, SB 670, which makes suction dredge mining illegal in the state of California.  This bill will affect the communities and ecosystems of the Klamath River watershed in several important ways. Click here to read more about SB 670.

Klamath River featured in National Geographic

The December 2008 issue of National Geographic features an article on the Klamath River called "Reuniting a River", written by Russ Rymer with photographs by David McLain.  You can view the article online at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/12/klamath-river/rymer-text.

Breaking News on Klamath Dams

Bush administration officials and PacifiCorp have reached a nonbinding agreement on removal of the four Klamath River dams in 2020.  Check out these links for more information:

http://www.klamathriver.org/AIP.html

MKWC Newsletter

MKWC's newsletter can now be found online!!!  CLICK HERE to view the Fall 2008, Tenth Edition.  Check out the MKWC publications to view past newsletters.