Water quality discussed after completion of Klamath reservoir drawdown
Iron Gate, the lowest of the Klamath dams, was breached first on Jan. 9, followed by J.C. Boyle in Oregon, and finally, Copco 1. Draining the three reservoirs marks another milestone toward the removal of dams in the Lower Klamath Project. … In total, KRRC expects 5 to 7 million cubic yards of sediment — the same amount that the Klamath River would normally drain in a single year — to wash downstream over a short period of time. The material, composed mostly of very fine silt and dead algae, has imbued the river with a dark coffee color. For several days last week, dissolved oxygen levels in the first 20 miles below Iron Gate dam hovered close to zero. Decomposing algae rob water of oxygen, as do oxidizing minerals. As the last of the reservoirs drained, they released oxygen-poor water, as well.
Related articles:
- California WaterBlog: Can large dams help feed downstream ecosystems?
- Ashland Daily Tidings: Klamath Reservoir Drawdown Completion Sparks Water Quality Debate
- The Revelator: Blog – The monumental effort to replant the Klamath River dam reservoirs
- The California Globe: Opinion - Klamath Dam Removal: ‘It’s an Environmental Disaster’
- Tahoe Daily Tribune: About dam time; A century-plus of the Tahoe Dam