Francis Gill and Danny Fontaine, two local landowners at Copco Lake, share their perspectives on the impacts of the dam removals on local residents, as well as the threats facing rural communities in the American West more broadly.   

Since the construction of JC Boyle, whitewater recreation occurs via
scheduled releases from the dam. Known colloquially as the “Upper
Klamath,” this reach of the river has legendary rapids with big waves and
exciting drops. With the dams gone, flows will be much more variable and
less predictable, eliminating the reach as a reliable option for guiding
businesses. This will be a loss for outfitters and recreational users of the
river, but as you’ll hear, dam removal also creates some new opportunities.
This episode was recorded on the banks of the Upper Klamath with guides
from Indigo Creek Outfitters

Want to know what scientists think could happen with all of that sediment (13
million cubic yards!) stored behind the dams? Or how the temperature,
nutrients, and algae in the river could change? Chauncey Anderson, recently
retired from the US Geological Survey, helps unpack what we think we know
about the water quality changes ahead for the Klamath and where the gaps in
our knowledge are