Watching the dams come out: Klamath River

Last year the removal of four dams on the Klamath River began.  This week the fourth dam, Copco No. 1, was breached setting the stage for the physical removal of all four dams this spring and summer.

Video of the drawdown demonstrates what is becoming one of the the standard dam removal methods, blasting a hole in the lower part of the dam to drain the reservoir and release the sediments trapped upstream.

In the news:

Fourth dam breached on the Klamath River 

Checking in on the next phase of Klamath dam removal

No turning back: The largest dam removal in U.S. history begins, NPR Jan 13, 2024, Heard on All Things Considered

Largest dam removal in U.S. history nears completion, reviving hopes for California salmon, LATimes/Yahoo News August 28, 2024

On this blog:

Klamath River dam removal begins

dam removal

More Watershed Education

 Since 2021 the Merito Foundation has organized the Ventura River Action Network for 6th through 12th graders.  

https://www.meritofoundation.org/venturariveractionnetwork

 

The V-RAN program includes Professional Development (PD) outdoors in the field, PD webinars, Science Curricula, and stipends to science teachers of VUSD enrolled in the program. The teachers' students (~600-700 per school year) are participating in in-class science activities, virtual and in the field youth community science experiences at Ventura River Watershed, and project-based learning through the EECCOA Challenge (a green STEM competition) with cash and in-kind prizes for students, and funds to implement the most cost-effective proposal to reduce the carbon footprint of the school campus authored by the students. 

The program includes field trips to monitor the river and visit Matilija Dam.  Visit the Story Map to learn more:

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4d93e82e5977448996aa64ba1e3d18a2