The impending removal of four hydroelectric dams on the main stem of the Klamath River has thrown this normally tranquil community into turmoil. The smallest of the dams is scheduled to be deconstructed this year. The reservoirs behind the remaining three—Copco 1, Iron Gate, and J.C. Boyle—will be drawn down starting next January; by summer, it’s expected that the river will flow freely for the first time in over 100 years. And while many people are celebrating the removals and what they could mean for salmon runs and the overall health of the river, Copco residents are devastated to lose their namesake lake.