So How Much Is One Million Cubic Yards?
One Million Yards of litter from Californias Roadsides is enough to build two stacks of trash from the Earth’s surface to beyond the International Space Station, 250 miles in orbit. according to the Office of Governor.

Irongate Dam 📸siskiyou news
Here in Siskiyou, a county larger than Connecticut and Delaware with 8, yes eight stoplights. According to Shasta Shaman John Brennen, retired Military Engineer. One Million Cubic Yards is roughly the size of Iron Gate Dam quoted Ray Haupt, District 5 Siskiyou County Supervisor. So with the largest dam removal project in history with an estimated 17 to 20 million yards behind the 4 dams. Using a slower controlled releases of 3-4000 cubic feet per minute of water when winter flows average 6000cfm with the goal to only and have to flush 5-7 million cubic yards of material down, down, down to the pacific ocean. This is all being done without flooding or loss of property downriver.
Yes, 5 – 7 earthen dams worth of material…
The Elwha River is a relatively short (72-km long), high gradient river flowing north out of the Olympic Mountains into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Strait of Juan de Fuca generates large tidal currents that regularly exceed 1 m/s or 2.23 miles per hour near the Elwha River delta (Warrick and Stevens, 2011).
Here is a series of slide of the mud from the Elwha that seams to be the measuring stick they like to compare to. We hear it a lot around when asking the questions about sediment and mud behind the dams flushing out to sea.

Between water years 2011 and 2015 the Elwha River discharged roughly 14 Million tons of suspended sediment to the coastal waters, composed of ~58% silt and clay, and ~42% sand, and roughly 5 Mt of sand and gravel bedload.

Guardians Of the River
In this film by American Rivers and Swiftwater Films, Indigenous leaders share why removing four dams to restore a healthy Klamath River is critical for clean water, food sovereignty and justice. “Guardians of the River” features Frankie Joe Myers, Vice Chair of the Yurok Tribe, Sammy Gensaw, director of Ancestral Guard, Barry McCovey, fisheries biologist with the Yurok Tribe, and members of the Ancestral Guard and Klamath Justice Coalition.
Dams and Dam Removal
- There are more than 500,000 dams in the U.S. Less than three percent of dams in the U.S. are
hydropower dams and less than 17 percent provide flood protection. - Outdated, obsolete dams threaten public safety: 85 percent of the nation’s dams are more than
50 years old, which is the average design life of a dam. - Aging dams are at increased risk of failure, particularly during increasingly severe storms and
flooding fueled by climate change. For example, at least 87 dams have failed in South Carolina
during storms and hurricanes since 2015. - Hydropower dams and reservoirs are a source of methane emissions, a greenhouse gas 80
times more potent than carbon dioxide. - Dams are a leading reason for the alarming loss of freshwater biodiversity. Seven dams on the
Coosa River in Alabama have caused more than thirty freshwater species to go extinct –
making it one of North America’s worst mass wildlife extinctions on record. Historically, the river
was habitat for 147 species of fish, 91 species of snail, and 53 species of mussels. - More than 2,025 dams have been removed with benefits for river health, fish and wildlife, and
public safety. - The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act committed $2.4 billion for the removal, retrofit and
rehabilitation of dams. The $800 million secured for dam removal is just 10 percent of the $8
billion need to address aging, uneconomic dams that could be removed.
- Obituary: Joseph Damian DuerrWith broken hearts, we share the passing of Joseph Damien Duerr, who left this world far too soon on April 30, 2025 at the age of 44, after a courageous battle with addiction and mental health struggles. Joseph was born on February 5, 1981. He was one of a kind, loved by all who met… Read more: Obituary: Joseph Damian Duerr
- Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Weekly Arrest Blotter- Crimes and Arrests from May 5-12, 2025DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this report is derived from public records maintained by the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office. All individuals listed are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This report is provided for informational purposes only and does not imply guilt or criminal activity. Charges listed represent initial booking charges… Read more: Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Weekly Arrest Blotter- Crimes and Arrests from May 5-12, 2025
- About Face! A Multimedia Exhibit of Portrait Art at SAMSiskiyou Arts Museum (SAM) held a reception for their new exhibit, “About Face!” during May’s Second Saturday, which was a big draw. A popular comment from many at the reception was that this show was one of the more interesting examples of such a variety of expressions from 18 different artists on a single theme.… Read more: About Face! A Multimedia Exhibit of Portrait Art at SAM
- Sheriff’s Office Hosts Town Hall in Dorris, Addressing “Four W’s” of Community ConcernDORRIS, Calif. — The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office held a well-attended town hall meeting in Dorris on Thursday evening, the 9th of May. Where Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue and county officials addressed what LaRue dubbed the “Four W’s” affecting local residents: wolves, weed, water, and wildfire. Sheriff LaRue expressed frustration with state management of the growing… Read more: Sheriff’s Office Hosts Town Hall in Dorris, Addressing “Four W’s” of Community Concern
- Golden Eagle Charter School 3rd Annual Art Exhibit- May 15th at 5:30 pmGolden Eagle Charter School is having their 3rd annual art show exhibit at the Mossbrae Hotel in Dunsmuir. It opens on May 15th at 5:30 pm, and the entire school from grades 1st to 8th will be there. There are so many different themes in this exhibit that all the artwork from the students not… Read more: Golden Eagle Charter School 3rd Annual Art Exhibit- May 15th at 5:30 pm