Reservoirs are interesting beasts, and sometimes the most sensible approach to fishery management (and many other factors and desired outcomes) is to remove the dam. Check out this overview article discussing dam removal and the upcoming large-scale opening of the Klamath River.

In January, the Klamath River will see seismic change. That’s when three dams on this Oregon and California waterway will be blasted and allow the river – and hopefully salmon and steelhead trout, which have been blocked by dams from reaching more than 400 miles of habitat – to run free again.

The Klamath River dam removal project, which involves four dams in total, is the largest dam removal project the country’s history. It’s not the only one. Smaller dams and culverts are coming down across the country, with fish restoration in mind.

“This battle has been going on for 400 years,” said Eric Hutchins, fisheries biologist at the NOAA Restoration Center, of fish versus dams. And finally, the fish have an edge. But how can the removal of a dam benefit fish populations?

Read the full article here: https://www.globalseafood.org/advocate/can-dam-removal-actually-restore-fish-populations-in-u-s-rivers/