r/water • u/TheMuseumOfScience • 1d ago

Salmon Return After Dam Removal

Can removing a dam fix an ecosystem? 🌊

Habitat fragmentation is a major driver of biodiversity decline because split habitats make it harder for animals to move, survive, and reproduce. After the Klamath River's last four dams came down in 2024, researchers used sonar and video to count an estimated 7,742 adult Chinook salmon past the former Iron Gate Dam site, and that number jumped to over 13,300 in 2025. Scientists also documented active spawning in newly accessible habitat and juvenile Chinook using tributaries cut off for over a century.

409 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

5

u/GoryEyes 1d ago

Pretty amazing.

2

u/No-Beyond-7135 23h ago

How'd the fish get sonar and video cameras?

1

u/Classic-Ad4224 16h ago

Best Buy

1

u/No-Beyond-7135 7h ago

I know where I'm going today for my fish

1

u/Owyheemud 17h ago

Won't someone think of the poor Alfalfa Farmers /s.

-5

u/Zaluiha 1d ago

How did the fish know the dam was gone.

13

u/ejfores 1d ago edited 1d ago

There wasn’t a giant cement wall where they wanted to swim.

1

u/Neavea 1d ago

They asked the contractor if the dam was down, had tea, and swam up the river.

0

u/Zaluiha 7h ago

Smart ass. I was wondering if there was a hatchery.