The Yurok Tribe has taken a significant step forward in its mission to restore the Klamath River, recently receiving $18 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This funding will support the ongoing Upper Klamath River Tributary Post Dam Removal Salmonid Restoration Project, aimed at reviving fish populations and restoring over 150 acres of critical wildlife habitat.
Working alongside four upper basin tribes and two conservation organizations, the Yurok Tribe is focused on revitalizing the river through a variety of ecological improvements. These include fish passage enhancements, floodplain reconnection, and stream habitat diversification. Recently, the Yurok Revegetation Crew began sowing millions of native plant seeds in the former J.C. Boyle Reservoir area, where vibrant vegetation now lines the free-flowing river.
The restoration project is not only bringing life back to the river but is also reconnecting the Yurok Tribe with their ancestral lands. After decades of advocacy for dam removal, salmon are once again able to travel upstream to the Upper Klamath Basin, marking a pivotal moment in the tribe’s long-standing efforts to preserve their cultural and environmental heritage.
