Despite widespread concerns about the initial impact of removing the three remaining Klamath River hydroelectric dams, the organization coordinating the removals says the project is moving ahead as expected.

Several groups, especially in Siskiyou County, have expressed fear the removals are creating significant damage to the river’s water quality, have resulted in huge kills of non-native fish and caused deer and other wildlife to die after becoming stuck and unable to escape from extremely muddy areas because of the drawdown of reservoirs.

A statement from the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, which is overseeing removal of the dams, restoring lands exposed by the dam removal to “restore the health of the Klamath River and the communities that depend on it,” explained the ongoing process.

One dam, Copco 2, was removed last year. Happening now are steps aimed at removing the other three dams — John C Boyle, Copco 1 and Iron Gate.

“The removal of the four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River is the largest dam removal and fisheries restoration project in the nation,” the statement notes. “As is the case with any restoration project, there are short-term and visible impacts followed by long-term recovery. The environmental analyses necessary to implement this project discussed these impacts in detail, and to date, the project has not had any effects outside the range of what was expected. Rivers heal quickly, and examples of successful recovery processes can be found across the nation.”

Responding to concerns about the sediment created by the drawdown process and ongoing dam removals, the statement says, “The Klamath River is experiencing a period of poor water quality as sediment is evacuated from the former reservoirs. This short-term impact will be small, relative to the long-term improvements to water quality and fisheries habitat. We expect to see fluctuations in turbidity/suspended sediment levels in the coming weeks and months.”

The statement also notes the massive fish kills were expected and are impacting non-native fish. According to the statement, “Significant numbers of non-native (introduced) fish, such as yellow perch, perished as reservoirs were drawn down. Many non-native fish that do survive drawdown are not adapted to a natural river environment and are not expected to live. We can also expect some fish mortality downstream as the evacuation of sediment impairs water quality.”

In addition, the statement commented on the deaths of thousands of young Chinook salmon two days after they were released in a tributary upstream of the Iron Gate Dam from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s new Fall Creek Fish Hatchery.

“On the evening of Jan. 27,” the statement says, “the Klamath River downstream of Iron Gate became depleted of oxygen for less than 24 hours as a result of dead algae and fine sediment mobilization. Within 24 hours, the concentration of dissolved oxygen began to recover. In their Biological Opinion, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) anticipated and analyzed the impacts of high sediment concentrations and low dissolved oxygen resulting from reservoir drawdown. The current in-stream conditions are consistent with the range of outcomes analyzed.

“Although dead fish have been observed during this short-term event, the majority of salmonids have been able to avoid any impacts as their overwinter habitats are located primarily in tributaries. Regulatory agencies note that salmonids will be using the mainstem as a migratory corridor in the spring and fall when river conditions are improved.

KRRC is monitoring in-stream conditions and reporting weekly to regulatory agencies to ensure compliance with all environmental documents.

“In short,” the statement concludes, “the conditions we are witnessing are as expected. Large scale river restoration begins with some negative impacts. However, the success of the restoration project cannot be judged by a snapshot from today. The benefits will be revealed in years to come.”