cover photo: Many tens of millions of cubic years of polluted clay-mud are now exposed in Copco Lake (see above) and in Iron Gate Lake (see video). Images: William E. Simpson II
The Klamath River dams have been unplugged. And with the water that was drained from Copco and Iron Gate Lakes came millions of tons of polluted sediments.
Now the remaining polluted clay-mud sediments that have been deposited on the…
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9 Comments
Is there anything that’s happening to immediately shut the tunnel outlet on Iron Gate Dam and refill the lake? Can a lawsuit be brought to force closure of Iron Gate Reservoir tunnel outlet with an immediate injunction for KRRC violation of “Lower Klamath River Wild Scenic River?”
Really, Royce. Please come visit me at Copco Lake and have the toxic fumes start to burn your soft cheekbone area. Or watch a noble heron struggling for life in the cold, dank mud. Or wait to see if your home will collapse on the cliff, or your well go completely dry.
We were promised the lake drawdown would be slow and steady. Instead, it was rushed in four days. I live every second with the awful ecological pit off my deck. Of course, we all hoped for a “win-win.” Time will tell, but I agree with William E. Simpson, who I am sure will provide us with the documentation.
Yes, thank you. You present good points as well. I know Mr. Simpson is extremely educated and intelligent, and you sound cogent and bright as well. So let’s gather all of us possessing compassion and abilities to navigate this new terrain.
KRRC, the lake and river residents, and caring folk now weighing in from around the world are all waiting for….gulp…??? We must be ready for any and all challenges. Meanwhile, my world has vanished. I pray the replacement won’t be hazardous (aka toxic sediment).
Too many maybes, we think and coulds for me. How come nobody talks about seriously enforcing of the 250 mile limit for fishing? Our allies are killing our runs at sea.
So happy these dams are coming out. The sediment has been studied and approved to be discharged where it will end up in the ocean like all natural rivers do. It may take a few years for the sediment to clear but in 5 years from now this will be a non-issue and the habitat will be on the mend. The inverse would be the dams to remain, the sediment sources to be blocked, scouring to continue, invasive to flourish, water quality/temp/nutrients to continue to be destabilized. This habitat recovery will take 30 years or more before the former glory of the Klamath is returned.
Robert – Hydrologist
What an awful article. Fallacious appeals to “logic and common sense” throughout with no data or evidence presented to the claims. I’m not even saying the objections raised here are pointless, they should be looked into, but this article does nothing to that end. 0/10.