Restoring the Klamath Basin

The Klamath Basin has been called the Everglades of the West. Six spectacular National Wildlife Refuges dot the basin. Hundreds of thousands of migratory birds rely on basin wetlands. Large numbers of bald eagles forage in the basin in the winter.

Upper Klamath NWR

Historically, the Klamath Basin supported:

massive concentrations of waterfowl, quite possibly the largest on the planet
the third-largest salmon runs in the Western United States (behind only the Columbia and Sacramento rivers)
large populations of unique sucker fish found nowhere else.

Unfortunately, large water withdrawals for irrigation, a series of dams on the Klamath River, commercial agriculture on the National Wildlife Refuges, and the loss of basin wetlands have seriously depleted these tremendous resources.

Despite the loss of habitat, the Klamath offers perhaps the best opportunity on the West Coast to restore a major river basin.

To restore the Klamath, WaterWatch is working to:

bring demand for water back into balance with what nature can provide
assure sufficient water for fish, wildlife, wetlands and the National Wildlife Refuges in the basin
phase out commercial farming on 22,000 acres of Tule Lake and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuges
remove PacifiCorp’s four lower hydropower dams on the Klamath River
increase legal compliance and agency accountability on water allocation and other management decisions that affect aquatic habitat

Keep up with the latest developments on the Klamath at our Updates page, and lend your voice in support by signing up for RiverAction!