103-733: The Shasta River is a tributary of the Klamath River , approximately 58 miles (93 km) long, in northern California in the United States. It drains the Shasta Valley on the west and north sides of Mount Shasta in the Cascade Range . The river rises in southern Siskiyou County on the edge of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest , approximately 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Weed . It flows generally northwest through
206-699: A compromise between agricultural needs and fishery flows. The official beginning of the Klamath River is at Lake Ewauna , a small natural lake near Klamath Falls, Oregon . The primary inflow of Lake Ewauna is the short Link River , which connects it to Upper Klamath Lake . Upper Klamath, in turn, is fed by the Williamson River (originating in the Winema National Forest ) and Wood River (originating in Crater Lake National Park ). For
309-406: A large kype (hooked beak) which is used to attract a mate during spawning, with males having a more pronounced kype than females. The coho salmon's lower jaw can be distinguished by a light shade at its superior edge. Once the mature coho has reached three or four years old, it swims up freshwater rivers and streams to spawn (reproduce). Once reaching a suitable location, females dig a divot in
412-500: A light-pink or rose shading along the belly, and the males may show a slight arching of the back. Mature adults have a pronounced red skin color with darker backs and spots, with females having darker shades than males. Coho salmon average 20 to 28 inches (50.8 to 71 cm) and 7 to 11 pounds (3.2 to 5.0 kg), occasionally reaching up to 36 pounds (16 kg). Size can vary depending on age and geographic location. Males tend to be slightly larger than females. Mature adults also develop
515-495: A prominent conservationist and staunch opponent of burning – began to manage what was traditionally Klamath lands. The Forest Service oversaw extensive logging, mining, and dam construction, which degraded much of the environment, particularly salmon stocks and redwood forests. In 1947, the lower section of Karuk Aboriginal Territory was made part of the Six Rivers National Forest. In 1964, the first wilderness area in
618-664: A railroad branch line following the McCloud River —the final part of which was called the Bartle Fast Freight Road, after Bartle, California. The end of this line, Laird's Landing, was the beginning of the Lower Klamath Lake steamboat line, which began operating with an 80-foot (24 m) screw steamer in 1905. By 1909, however, the railroad had circumnavigated Lower Klamath Lake directly to Klamath Falls. The steamboat line fell into disuse—and much of Lower Klamath Lake
721-419: A staple in the diet of several indigenous peoples , who would also use it to trade with other tribes farther inland. The coho salmon is also a symbol of several tribes, representing life and sustenance. In their freshwater stages, coho feed on plankton and aquatic invertebrates in the benthos and water column, such as Chironomids , midge larvae, and terrestrial insects that fall into the water. Upon entering
824-490: A treaty in 1864 (that was ratified in 1870) which gave the Klamath sovereign rights to the new reservation. However, through the 1954 Termination Act, federal aid to the tribes was halted. After losing federal recognition in 1954, they regained the status in 1986. They are dispersed across Southern Oregon and Northern California. The Klamath Reservation covers around 300 acres along the western coast. The Klamath Tribes, made up of
927-519: A wide agricultural valley. Running north, parallel to Interstate 5 , for the next few miles, the Shasta receives its first important tributary, Eddy Creek, from the left, 37 miles (60 km) from the mouth. It then crosses under the interstate, winds past a ridge, and passes the town of Weed . It then turns northeast into Lake Shastina , an artificial lake formed by a dam at its north end, and turns northwest. Bypassing Big Springs 30 miles (48 km) from
1030-515: Is a 257-mile (414 km) long river in southern Oregon and northern California . Beginning near Klamath Falls in the Oregon high desert , it flows west through the Cascade Range and Klamath Mountains before reaching the temperate rainforest of California's North Coast , where it empties into the Pacific Ocean . The Klamath River is the third-largest salmon and steelhead producing river on
1133-502: Is currently unknown, but the salmon species is farmed at several locations in Europe, making it probable that the animal has slipped the net at such a farm. The total North Pacific harvest of coho salmon in 2010 exceeded 6.3 million fish, of which 4.5 million were taken in the United States and 1.7 million in Russia. This corresponds to some 21,000 tonnes in all. Coho salmon are the backbone of
SECTION 10
#17328453505141236-468: Is named for pioneer John Walter Scott . Gold deposits are still present in the Klamath River watershed even though it was mined far past the end of the gold rush. After the establishment of California in 1850, the state government signed treaties with the Karuk establishing aboriginal territories, but the treaties were never ratified in the senate and so the Karuk never got their own reservation land. In 1864,
1339-532: Is often sold as medium red salmon . The scientific species name is based on the Russian common name kizhuch (кижуч). During their ocean phase, coho salmon have silver sides and dark-blue backs with spots on their back and upper tail lobe. During their spawning phase, their jaws and teeth become hooked. After entering fresh water, they develop bright-red sides, bluish-green heads and backs, dark bellies and dark spots on their backs. Sexually maturing fish develop
1442-686: Is on the left bank of the Klamath River, at the junction of State Route 263 and State Route 96 . The roughly 800-square-mile (2,100 km) watershed of the Shasta River consists of a semi-arid farming valley entirely in Siskiyou County . It is adjacent to the Scott River on the west, Butte Creek on the east, and the main Klamath River on the north. The watershed is located east of the Klamath Mountains and northwest of Mount Shasta. Some towns in
1545-477: Is one of the most popular sport fish in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada. Its popularity is due in part to the reckless abandon which it frequently displays chasing bait and lure while in salt water , and the large number of coastal streams it ascends during its spawning runs. Its habit of schooling in relatively shallow water, and often near beaches, makes it accessible to anglers on
1648-648: Is spawning site for a run of endangered Chinook salmon . Estimates suggest that 80,000 adults fish once returned to the river every year, the largest returning population of any tributary in the Klamath watershed besides the Trinity River Today, less than 10% of this population still returns, and recent droughts have severely hampered survival rates of juvenile fish. The river also supports coho salmon and steelhead . Download coordinates as: Klamath River The Klamath River ( Karuk : Ishkêesh , Klamath : Koke , Yurok : Hehlkeek 'We-Roy )
1751-446: Is the largest, and is characterized by volcanic features such as basalt flows and lava caves. The Shasta River flows northwest through the valley from Mount Shasta, the highest point in the Klamath River basin at 14,161 ft (4,316 m). Yreka and Montague are located within Shasta Valley. To the west is the smaller Scott Valley , which includes the towns of Fort Jones , Etna , Greenview and Callahan . Hayfork Valley and
1854-493: Is thought to have originated from volcanic activity in the Klamath Mountains. Miners searching for gold in the Klamath Mountains and Trinity Alps in the aftermath of the California Gold Rush first discovered gold along Salmon Creek in the spring of 1850, and additional deposits were found on the main stem by July. Gold was also discovered in great quantities in Shasta lands at French Gulch and Yreka . The Gold Rush
1957-617: The Basin and Range Province of the northern Great Basin to the southeast. This region extends from the southern Lower Klamath Lake area into the Lost River and Upper Klamath Lake basins. Crustal stretching and block faulting created a topography with characteristics similar to both regions. Almost the entire basin is a graben region, bearing basin and range characteristics, formed by uplifting and subsidence along several north–south faults . Pre- Quaternary , igneous and sedimentary rocks compose
2060-479: The Klamath , Yurok , Karuk , Hupa , and Shasta . The movement of forced creation of reservations in the United States resulted in the loss of culturally, ecologically, and economically significant land of indigenous peoples. While many of them are federally recognized sovereign nations, they are still fighting to reclaim the land and resources that were taken from them. The Klamath River tribes mission statements include
2163-824: The Klamath Basin , drains parts of Klamath, Lake and Jackson Counties in Oregon and Siskiyou, Modoc, Trinity, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties in California. About 37 percent of the basin is in Oregon and 63 percent is in California. More than half of the Klamath Basin is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, on the Fremont , Winema , and Rogue River National Forests in Oregon and the Modoc , Klamath , Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests in California. The Klamath Basin borders
SECTION 20
#17328453505142266-586: The Scott River and Shasta River, and further cited a Fish and Game report of beaver from 1915–1917 on High Prairie Creek at the mouth of the Klamath River near Requa, California. Fur trappers eventually moved southwest into the Sacramento Valley and extended the Siskiyou Trail , an early path between the Oregon Territory and San Francisco Bay . Within a matter of years, the plentiful beaver in
2369-628: The Smith , Rogue and Umpqua River watersheds to the northwest, the Mad and Eel River watersheds to the southwest, the Sacramento River watershed to the southeast, and various closed basins of interior Oregon to the northeast. Hydrologically, the Upper Klamath Basin is considered to be upstream from the former site of Iron Gate Dam , about 190 miles (310 km) from the river's mouth. Most of
2472-450: The massif of southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. Instead of being diverted southwards, however, the Klamath continued to flow westward and created a steep-walled gorge through the rising range. One of these terranes brought with it a long north–south band of easily eroded mica that now lies about 30 miles (48 km) inland from the Pacific coast of Northern California. When
2575-627: The smolt stage. Smolts are generally 100–150 mm (3.9–5.9 in) and as their parr marks fade and the adult's characteristic silver scales start to dominate. Smolts migrate to the ocean from late March through July. Some fish leave fresh water in the spring, spend summer in brackish estuarine ponds, and then return to fresh water in the fall. Coho salmon live in salt water for one to three years before returning to spawn . Some precocious males, known as "jacks", return as two-year-old spawners. Spawning males develop kypes, which are strongly hooked snouts and large teeth . The traditional range of
2678-499: The Alaskan troll fishery, though the majority are caught by the net fishery ( gillnet and seine fishing ). They average 3.5% by fish and 5.9% by weight of the annual Alaska salmon harvest. The North Pacific yields of pink salmon , chum salmon and sockeye salmon are about 15 times larger by weight. In North America, coho salmon is a game fish in fresh and salt water from July to December, especially with light fishing tackle . It
2781-524: The B Canal which heads east towards the Lost River Valley and the C Canal which heads south towards Tule Lake Valley. A diversion channel was opened to carry floodwaters from the Lost River to the Klamath, and a tunnel excavated to drain the remaining waters of Tule Lake towards Lower Klamath Lake, where the Klamath Straits Drain conveys excess water back to the Klamath River near Keno. A cut
2884-417: The California legislature rejected treaties to create federal designated land, the Karuk peoples do not have a reservation. The Klamath Forest Reserve was created by the U.S. government in 1905 and claimed Karuk land as public land. Members have been working to reclaim parcels of their original land and place them in trusts. The concept of World Renewal plays heavily into both Karuk and Yurok culture. Although
2987-681: The Cascades. The mountain ridges are forested, while the valleys mostly consist of wetlands or farmland. Although many streams flowing into Upper Klamath Lake derive their flow from snowmelt, its largest sources – the Williamson and Wood Rivers – are predominantly fed by large springs . Upper and Lower Klamath Lakes and Tule Lake were once part of 350,000 acres (140,000 ha) of connected wetlands, over three-quarters of which have been drained for agriculture. The 3,000-square-mile (7,800 km ) Lost River basin, situated east and south of Klamath Falls,
3090-614: The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management start collaborating with tribal peoples in the Offield Mountain Ceremonial Burning project and Tribal Forest Protection Act to incorporate traditional ecological knowledge and stewardship practices into land management. In the late 1820s, fur trappers of the Hudson's Bay Company traveling south from Fort Vancouver reached the Klamath River basin. The first party to see
3193-471: The Klamath Basin had been mostly wiped out. Beaver dams had previously been an important factor in stream habitat in the Klamath River watershed, helping to moderate the power of floods and creating extensive wetlands. The loss of the beaver dams resulted in detrimental consequences for watercourses in the basin, exacerbating the power of winter floods, and causing severe erosion. Despite the environmental implications, extensive and fertile meadows left behind by
Shasta River - Misplaced Pages Continue
3296-506: The Klamath Irrigation Project, to drain and reclaim for agriculture over 250,000 acres (100,000 ha) of former lake beds and wetlands. The first homesteaders moved onto project lands in 1917, while expansions of the project continued into the 1940s. The Klamath Irrigation Project includes 185 miles (298 km) of main canals, chief of which are the A Canal which delivers water south from Upper Klamath Lake, dividing into
3399-480: The Klamath River and its tributaries have been designated National Wild and Scenic Rivers . Four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River were demolished by October 2024 , following almost two decades of negotiations between local representatives, tribes, conservation groups and the utility company operating the dams. This enabled salmon migration to the Upper Klamath Basin for the first time in over 100 years, and established new guidelines for Klamath water use to achieve
3502-511: The Klamath River near the confluence with the Salmon River, has been a traditional fishing ground for thousands of years. Tribes of the upper basin were primarily hunter-gatherers, and did not depend on salmon as much as downstream tribes. The Klamath River's name was recorded by Europeans in the 19th century derived from the word klamet or the Klamath Tribe. Prior to European contact,
3605-792: The Klamath River was led by Alexander McLeod in the winter of 1826–27. In 1828, the Jedediah Smith fur trapping expedition was helped across the Trinity River by the Yurok and camped on the east side of the Trinity River. His clerk, Harrison G. Rogers, wrote, "Mr. Smith purchases all the beaver furs he can from them," suggesting that beaver were then plentiful on the Trinity. Joseph Grinnell , in Fur-bearing Mammals of California , noted that beaver had been present on other Klamath River tributaries such as
3708-417: The Klamath basin was designated, effectively banning timber harvesting and road development in the area. Indigenous people were not allowed to steward their traditional territories because the Forest Service believed they would further deplete the damaged ecosystems. This led to a legal battle in 1970 over whether Klamath tribes could fish in these territories. Not until the late 1990s and early 2000s did
3811-472: The Klamath encountered this layer, it began cutting its canyon along the mica instead of continuing southwest to the Pacific, resulting in the sharp northward bend where the Trinity River joins. The lower Trinity also follows portions of the mica and its south fork as well. Human habitation on the Klamath dates to at least 7,000 years ago. Many of the Native American groups along the river depended on
3914-586: The Klamath reaches Weitchpec , where it receives the Trinity River , its largest tributary, from the left. State Route 96 follows the Klamath River for 137 miles (220 km) from Hornbrook to Weitchpec. Downstream of the Trinity River, the Klamath turns sharply northwest. The entire 44-mile (71 km) lower section of the river flows through coast redwood forests in the Yurok Indian Reservation . State Route 169 follows most of this section of
4017-637: The Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin-Paiute people, reside in the Klamath Basin but hold many of their sacred ceremonies along the Sprague River . The Upper Klamath Lake , and its fish populations, is also an important cultural and subsistence location for the Klamath Tribes. In 1905, the United States Forest Service , an agency of the Department of Agriculture headed by Gifford Pinchot –
4120-646: The Lower Basin, even though it only accounts for 62 percent of the land area. The Trinity River is the largest sub-basin of the Lower Klamath; the main stem originates in the Trinity Alps west of Redding , while the South Fork Trinity River 's origin at North Yolla Bolly Mountain is the southernmost point in the entire Klamath Basin. Much of the Lower Klamath and Trinity River basins are bounded on
4223-547: The Native Americans of the Klamath Basin and surrounding area signed a treaty that had them cede 20 million acres (8,100,000 ha) of land to the United States and forced them to move to the newly created Klamath Indian Reservation . This reservation clumped the Yurok, Karuk, and Hoopa tribes into one small area. These reservation lands were created as a result of wars between American settlers and indigenous peoples including
Shasta River - Misplaced Pages Continue
4326-559: The Red Cap War in 1855. The US government wanted to stop these violent clashes and relegate the indigenous people to limited territory where they could be sovereign. The reservation policy was reversed in 1887 with the Dawes Act which designated allotments to individuals of indigenous descent who could stake claim. However into the 1920s many of these individual land owners sold away their allotments to timber companies as they could not afford
4429-471: The Shasta Valley, past Weed, through Lake Shastina , and past Montague . It joins the Klamath from the south approximately 8 miles (13 km) north-northeast of Yreka . The Shasta Valley is dominated by nearby Mount Shasta and underlain with volcanic basalt from eruptions of the mountain in recent geologic time. Pluto's Cave is an example of voids remaining after highly fluid lava drained from underground conduits which were fed by volcanic vents to
4532-539: The Siskiyou Mountains to the north and west of the river, and the Marble Mountains and Salmon Mountains to the east and south. These mountains experience heavy winter snowfall, while summers are warm and dry with little precipitation. Closer to the coast, winters are cool with heavy rainfall, while summer temperatures are mild and often foggy. About 88 percent of the Klamath River's total flow originates in
4635-567: The Trinity River, while SR 299 runs along the Trinity River between Willow Creek and Junction City . SR 169 follows most of the lower Klamath below the Trinity, except for an unconstructed segment between river miles 8-23 (13-37 km) which is only accessible by boat. Although the Lower Klamath Basin is almost entirely covered by mountains, there are also several prominent valleys used for agriculture. Shasta Valley in Siskiyou County
4738-497: The Upper Klamath Basin is in Oregon, with some parts extending south into California. Situated between the Cascades and the Oregon high desert and northwest of the Modoc Plateau , it features a semi-arid climate and is characterized by large, flat alluvial valleys separated by long mountain ridges. Elevations range from 4,000 to 4,500 ft (1,200 to 1,400 m) in the valleys to 7,000 to 9,000 ft (2,100 to 2,700 m) in
4841-501: The Yonna Formation, which crosses much of the region and rises above the surface in large outcroppings of solid rock in many of the ridges. Underlying rocks are generally younger from east to west. The many ridges crossing the upper Klamath Basin divide it into valleys with up to 330 feet (100 m) of vertical relief, and drainage patterns generally follow the topography. An extensive geothermal system occurs deep underground within
4944-520: The Yurok people, the health of the river and the salmon is indicative of the health of the tribe, making the current policies surrounding river dams, and declining salmon populations deeply personal. Like with other Klamath Basin Tribes, an annual salmon ceremony takes place to honor and celebrate the salmon, which the Yurok people see as ancestors. The Yurok tribe’s ceremonies emphasize the Klamath River, and many traditional practices require close proximity to
5047-415: The annual Salmon ceremony. Yurok culture and religion emphasizes direct connection and communication with the Klamath river. Yurok cosmologies and oral histories emphasize the importance of the Klamath river and its salmon as a gift from the creator to provide for the Yurok people. “Without this river we would not know who we are, where we’re from or where we’re going” said an elder in the tribal community. For
5150-528: The banks, as well as in boats. It is also pursued by fly fishermen in salt water. Ocean-caught coho is regarded as excellent table fare. It has a moderate to high amount of fat, which is considered to be essential when judging taste. Only spring chinook and sockeye salmon have higher levels of fat in their meat. When smoking coho it is best to use a cold-smoking rather than hot-smoking process, due to their lower fat content compared to sockeye and chinook. Historically coho, along with other species, has been
5253-454: The children by forcing them to speak English and dress in Western clothing and eat Western foods. This led to a generational disconnect and loss of knowledge of many cultural practices. Beginning in the early 20th century, steamboats began operating on Lower Klamath Lake between Siskiyou County, California , and Klamath Falls, Oregon . The steamboats completed a link between Klamath Falls and
SECTION 50
#17328453505145356-671: The coho salmon runs along both sides of the North Pacific Ocean, from Hokkaidō , Japan and eastern Russia, around the Bering Sea to mainland Alaska , and south to Monterey Bay, California . Coho salmon have also been introduced in all the Great Lakes , as well as many landlocked reservoirs throughout the United States . A number of specimens, (more than 20), were caught in waters surrounding Denmark and Norway in 2017. Their source
5459-610: The community of Hayfork are located in Trinity County, while Hoopa Valley and the surrounding Hoopa Reservation are on the Trinity River in Humboldt County. The below table lists major sub-basins of the Klamath River system. The lower and middle sections of the Klamath River are vulnerable to flooding, and major floods have occurred in years where major flooding has taken place in Northern California , particularly in
5562-424: The draining of beaver ponds attracted many settlers to the region later on. Klamath River ever since the discovery of gold in its bed has been continuously mined and is still a long way from being worked out. The conditions for river mining in this stream are very favorable. Though carrying a large volume of water, it has nearly everywhere a considerable grade and velocity of current with no great depth ... ... At
5665-444: The east. The Shasta Valley is covered with small hillocks extending from the base of Mt. Shasta north to just beyond the city of Montague, that are the debris from the liquefication of the ancestral Mount Shasta sometime within the past 400,000 years. Rising on the east slope of Mount Eddy several miles west of Mount Shasta and about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Shasta Lake , the Shasta River immediately proceeds to flow through
5768-480: The eggs. Unchosed males also sneak in to release milt at this time. Once all eggs are laid, she covers them with rocks and pebbles using her tail. The adults then begin semelparity , whereby they stop eating and deteriorate to death. The eggs hatch in the late winter or early spring after six to seven weeks in the redd . Once hatched, they remain mostly immobile in the redd during the alevin life stage, which also lasts for six to seven weeks. Alevin no longer have
5871-404: The end. This style of fishing works to naturally limit the amount of fish caught in a fishing session, thus ensuring that many salmon are able to spawn upstream and resupply the fishery. The Karuk language also revolves around the Klamath River, and the word "karuk" means "upriver". To indicate uphill, the word maruk is used, meaning away from the river. Conversely, the word saruk, meaning towards
5974-514: The first 18 miles (29 km) below Lake Ewauna, the Klamath River takes a slow meandering course through what was formerly the Klamath Marshes, which were drained for agriculture in the early 20th century. An artificial channel diverts water from the Lost River , which normally flows into Tule Lake , into the Klamath during periods of high runoff. Below Keno Dam (which controls the level of
6077-432: The first salmon of the season, which they think of as "salmon medicine" with ceremonies similar to the other Klamath basin tribes. Their relationship to the Klamath and its salmon was, and continues to be, deep-seated in their culture. The Klamath Tribes, consisting of the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin-Paiute, are a federally recognized tribe with around 4,800 members. The Klamath and United States federal government created
6180-451: The huge runs of Pacific salmon , the third largest on the Pacific coast of what is now the United States. These groups included the Shasta along the middle and upper parts of the river, the Yurok , Hupa , and Karuk along the canyons of the lower river, and the Modoc , Klamath and Yahooskin in the desert valleys of the upper basin. About 129 miles (208 km) of the Klamath River, or half
6283-547: The largest federally recognized tribe in California. Federal recognition was given in 1855, in which the Yurok Reservation was created. Throughout the late 1800s, Yurok were moved to several newly established reservations, several of which were later destroyed or closed. The reservation covers around 63,000 acres along the coastal region of the lower Klamath River. The Yurok people think of the Klamath river as “the Bloodline:
SECTION 60
#17328453505146386-728: The left then flows west into the Siskiyou Mountains (a sub-range of the Klamath Mountains ), entering the Klamath National Forest . It receives the Scott River from the left, passing through Seiad Valley and Happy Camp . Turning south, it flows towards Somes Bar , where it receives the Salmon River from the left as it enters Humboldt County and the Six Rivers National Forest . After passing Orleans ,
6489-414: The life blood of the people” relying on it for foods like salmon (ney-ouy), sturgeon (Kaa-ka), candlefish (kwor-ror), and seaweed (chey-gel’). These foods, specifically fish and specifically from the Klamath river are of utmost important to the culture and religion of the Yurok tribe. Located along the river are various villages important to specific ceremonial practices of the Yurok, like the Jump Dance or
6592-416: The listed populations is still downward, though there was one recent good year with an increasing trend in 2001. The Puget Sound / Strait of Georgia ESU in Washington is an NMFS "Species of Concern". Species of Concern are those species for which insufficient information prevents resolving the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's concerns regarding status and threats and whether to list
6695-422: The lumber companies shut down due to drought. About 500,000 acres (200,000 ha) of farmland are irrigated in the Upper Klamath Basin, divided between the federal Klamath Irrigation Project located south of Upper Klamath Lake, and various local and private irrigation districts, mostly located north of the lake. In 1905, the Reclamation Service (today's U.S. Bureau of Reclamation ) was authorized to construct
6798-432: The marine environment, they switch to a diet of plankton and fish, with fish making up most of their diets after a certain size. Adult coho feed on a vast variety of prey items that depend on the region they reside in during their second year at sea. Spawning habitats are small streams with stable gravel substrates. Salmonid species on the west coast of the United States have experienced dramatic declines in abundance during
6901-421: The mouth, the river picks up more agricultural runoff as it meanders north between irrigated fields. The river then passes between Yreka and Montague , 10 miles (16 km) from the mouth, crossed by California State Route 3 and Interstate 5 for the final time. It then enters a canyon in the Klamath Mountains , 3 miles (4.8 km) from the mouth, and begins to parallel California State Route 263 . Its mouth
7004-430: The neighboring Butte Valley– Meiss Lake basin – have been artificially altered to discharge floodwaters into the Klamath River via diversion dams and drainage facilities. The Lower Klamath Basin, consisting mostly of mountains and coniferous forest, is located almost entirely in California except for the headwaters of a few tributaries that flow south from Oregon. The Klamath Mountains include numerous sub-ranges, with
7107-423: The northern California coast), predation by the California sea lion and Pacific harbor seal , and commercial timber harvesting. More than 680,000 coho salmon returned to Oregon in 2009, double that of 2007. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife required volunteers to herd fish into hatchery pens. Some creeks were reported to have so many fish, "you could literally walk across on the backs of coho," claimed
7210-403: The old bridge still stand. The mouth of the Klamath and nearby sections of the river are susceptible to oceanic tsunami surges, and fatalities have occurred there during the 1964 Alaskan and 2011 Japanese tsunamis . The Upper Klamath Basin, defined by the drainage area of the Klamath River above Iron Gate Dam , is a unique transitional area between the Cascade Range to the west and
7313-417: The outlet of the lake. Many of the seasonal marshlands surrounding the lake and rivers were diked in this period to host lumber operations. In 1919, the first Link River Dam , a timber crib dam, was constructed at the outlet of Upper Klamath Lake, raising it by about 16 feet (5 m). Steamboats continued mail, passenger and freight operations on Upper Klamath Lake until about 1928, in a period when many of
7416-560: The past 10 million years, successive oceanic terranes dating from the Cambrian to the late Jurassic were added to the bulk of the North American continent. There are four distinct terranes from west to east. While the coastal mountains date to less than 3 million years ago, the farther inland High Cascades are as old as 7.5 million years. Granite batholiths , overlying sedimentary rock, and volcanic rock were crumpled into
7519-669: The past several decades as a result of human-induced and natural factors. The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has identified seven populations, called Evolutionary Significant Units (ESUs), of coho salmon in Washington , Oregon and California. Four of these ESUs are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). These are the Lower Columbia River (threatened), Oregon Coast (threatened), Southern Oregon and Northern California Coasts (threatened), and Central California Coast (endangered). The long-term trend for
7622-419: The places they live in over the course of hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It encompasses knowledge, beliefs, and practices that native people have accumulated through their immersive stewardship of the natural world. On the Klamath River, tribes have historically, and continue to, use traditional ecological knowledges and practices to care for and manage their landscape. The Klamath River tribes consist of
7725-447: The present time there are about twenty-five claims being worked on the Klamath and Salmon Rivers, employing three hundred men. Operations in this locality are generally on a small scale and involve the use of but little capital. —R.L. Dunn (1889) The 1850s saw discoveries of rich placer and lode gold deposits along the predominantly Shasta areas of the Klamath, Trinity, Shasta and other rivers in northwestern California. The gold
7828-401: The preservation of their cultural heritage along with their land and the resources it provides. The Klamath River basin tribes are deeply connected and entwined with their land. The Klamath river, the food it provides and the spiritual significance it holds, is centrally situated in the identities of all four tribes that live along the Klamath. The Yurok tribe has almost 5,000 members, making it
7931-399: The protective egg shell, or chorion , and rely on their yolk sacs for nourishment during growth. The alevin life stage is very sensitive to aquatic and sedimental contaminants. When the yolk sac is completely resorbed, the alevin leaves the redd. Young coho spend one to two years in their freshwater natal streams, often spending the first winter in off-channel sloughs, before transforming to
8034-470: The region. In the 1840s many white Americans started moving west into the region with the Gold Rush. Many more members of the Klamath tribes were displaced or killed in the destruction of villages and a series of wars over territory, among other threats. Into the 20th century, many Klamath children were separated from their tribes and families and forced to attend boarding schools which attempted to assimilate
8137-501: The river and include some type of bathing in or ingesting of the water. Recreational games are played on constructed “courts” along the river banks. The cycle of life in the Yurok culture is closely tied to the Klamath and those who have passed away are thought to take one last boat ride upriver. Like the Karuk, the Yurok language references the Klamath river in their descriptions of direction. The Karuk tribe recognized self-governance in 1994 and gained federal recognition in 1979. As
8240-466: The river as the Yurok and Karuk people, including practices of jump dances and cultural/subsistence reliance on the Klamath's salmon runs. Located in Northern California and Southern Oregon, the Shasta tribe is not federally recognized by the U.S. government due to the California legislature rejecting a treaty in 1851 that would have created a Shasta reservation. The tribe is currently in the process of gaining federal recognition. Shasta people celebrate
8343-520: The river was called by many different names, including Ishkêesh and Koke . The Klamath Tribe's name came from the Upper Chinookan word /ɬámaɬ/ , literally "they of the river". The tribes along the Klamath River, in their hunting, fishing, and landscape stewardship practices, employed traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). Traditional ecological knowledge describes the type of natural science information that indigenous people have gathered about
8446-447: The river's length, was on Shasta territory. The Yurok were the second most prominent group on the river, controlling about 30 miles (48 km) of the lower Klamath River and a large section of the Northern California coast. Along with the Hupa and Karuk, the lower to mid-upper Tribes caught salmon from the river with weirs , basket traps and harpoons . Ishi Pishi Falls, a set of rapids on
8549-525: The river, except for an unconstructed segment between river miles 8-23 (13-37 km) which is only accessible by boat. The river enters Del Norte County , where Highway 101 bridges it at the town of Klamath . The river empties into the Pacific Ocean at a tidal estuary near Requa , in an area shared by the Yurok Reservation and Redwood National and State Parks , about 16 miles (26 km) south of Crescent City . The Klamath River watershed , known as
8652-555: The river, is used to indicate downhill. The Hupa Valley Tribe is a federally recognized tribe with around 3,000 members. The reservation spans 80,000 acres and is the largest in California. It is located in the lower area of the Klamath River along the Trinity River. Around 3,000 people reside in the Hoopa Valley Reservation. Spanning around 85,000 acres, it is the largest reservation in California. The Hupa Valley tribe hold similar ceremonial and religious beliefs regarding
8755-423: The river. Salmon are an integral aspect of Karuk identity, culture, and subsistence. Karuk fisherman continue to sustainably fish for Salmon despite their decreasing numbers, drought and myriad other ecological issues. Ishi Pishi falls, located near the town of Somes Bar , remains the traditional location for Karuk men to fish. Karuk fishermen use a traditional dip-net fishing technique using long poles with nets on
8858-472: The river. As salmon runs declined in the mid-20th century, tribes pushed for legal recognition of their senior water rights to support Klamath River fisheries, which have led to controversial reductions in irrigation water supply. In the 21st century, the Klamath River hosts a wide variety of uses, including tribal subsistence fishing and ceremonies, recreational fishing and whitewater boating, and agricultural and domestic water supply. Starting in 1981, much of
8961-420: The riverbed by flexing their tails and loosing rocks from the riverbed, repeating for up to seven nests, each called a redd. Females become extremely aggressive with each other over nesting sites, and with males until these are dug. Males then fight for the right to mate. Once a female has chosen a mate, usually the largest male, she lays her eggs onto the redd, while he simultaneously releases milt (sperm) onto
9064-814: The species under the ESA. On May 6, 1997, NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce , listed as threatened the Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast coho salmon ESU. The coho salmon population in the Southern Oregon/Northern California region has declined from an estimated 150,000–400,000 naturally spawning fish in the 1940s to fewer than 10,000 naturally producing adults today. These reductions are due to natural and man-made changes, including short-term atmospheric trends (such as El Niño , which causes extremes in annual rainfall on
9167-467: The taxes. Eventually, the tribes began to profit from the sale of timber produced on the reservation, although unfairly distributed because of the lack of consideration of the three differing tribes. In 1954, however, Congress removed their federal recognition and the reservation was no longer economically successful. The tribes won back federal recognition in the 1970s, but by then poverty was widespread among tribal members. Additionally more indigenous land
9270-498: The term "world renewal" was coined by anthropologist Kroeber and Gifford, the Karuk tribe has adopted the phrase to refer to their annual ceremony that they view as essential to maintaining the reciprocal and stewarding relationship they have with the environment. The ceremony is meant to renew and sustain this relationship. Many aspects of the larger ceremony involve being near or on the Klamath river, such as boat dances that take place in canoes and involve giving thanks and gratitude to
9373-516: The upper Klamath were settled by Euro-Americans following exploration by fur trappers in the early to mid-19th century. Violent conflict and displacement of tribes occurred during the California Gold Rush as prospectors pushed into the lower Klamath basin, leading to a bitter fight over establishing reservation lands . In the early 20th century, the federal government drained the upper basin's once extensive lakes and wetlands for agriculture, while private utilities constructed hydroelectric dams along
9476-625: The upper basin, creating hot springs and artesian springs , but is not well understood. Further south, in the Shasta River area in Siskiyou County , much of the underlying rock is composed of lava flows issuing from the Mount Shasta volcanic region. The same age pattern is true in the Cascade Range and Klamath Mountains that cover the western half of the Klamath River watershed. As the North American Plate moved slowly southwestward over
9579-465: The upstream Klamath River and Lake Ewauna), the river flows swiftly through the narrow Klamath River Canyon, which cuts through volcanic rock of the southern Cascade Range. Entering Siskiyou County, California , it passes the former sites of four hydroelectric dams operated by PacifiCorp until their demolition in 2024 . After passing under Interstate 5 , the Klamath receives the Shasta River from
9682-488: The wake of Pineapple Express storms that bring large amounts of warm rain to Northern California. Fort Ter-Waw , located at what is now the town of Klamath Glen , was destroyed by the flood in December 1861 and abandoned on June 10, 1862. Other significant floods on the Klamath River have occurred in 1926–1927, 1955, 1964, 1997, and 2005, in several cases changing the course of the river. The Christmas flood of 1964
9785-588: The watershed include Weed , Edgewood , Gazelle , Big Springs, Grenada , Montague , and Yreka . Major bodies of water include Lake Shastina (Dwinnell Reservoir) and Trout Lake. Receiving just 14 inches (36 cm) of rain yearly on average, the 30-mile (48 km)-wide Shasta River Valley receives most of its surface water flow from groundwater, and now, agricultural return flows. It also receives some water from snow runoff at Mount Shasta - which flows out of lava tubes as springs and feeds east-side Shasta River tributaries such as Big Springs Creek. The Shasta River
9888-528: The west by South Fork Mountain, which forms one of the longest continuous ridgelines in North America. South Fork Mountain defines much of the boundary between the Klamath Mountains and the Northern Coast Ranges . Most of the Lower Klamath Basin is remote and rugged, with limited access routes. In California, SR 96 provides access to the entire stretch of the middle Klamath River from Hornbrook to
9991-474: The west coast of the contiguous United States. The river's watershed – the Klamath Basin – encompasses more than 15,000 square miles (39,000 km ), and is known for its biodiverse forests, large areas of designated wilderness , and freshwater marshes that provide key migratory bird habitat. Native Americans have used the river as a source of food and trade for thousands of years, and it continues to hold great cultural significance for tribes. Most lands along
10094-463: Was blasted through Keno Reef, the natural bedrock barrier that historically backed up floodwaters into Lower Klamath Lake. This enabled the near complete draining of both Tule and Lower Klamath Lakes. Coho salmon The coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ; Karuk : achvuun ) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon (or "silvers") and
10197-506: Was historically a closed basin terminating at Tule Lake. During high water events, the Klamath River overflowed into Lost River Slough near Klamath Falls and flow into Tule Lake. A topographic constriction occurred further west at the Keno Reef, a bedrock barrier where water backed up during flood events and flowed south along Klamath Straits into Lower Klamath Lake. Since the 20th century, the Lost River and Lower Klamath Lake basins – as well as
10300-406: Was later drained and filled in. In the early 1910s and 1920s, logging was a growing industry on the west side of the upper Klamath River valley, especially around Upper Klamath Lake. The Great Northern Railway and Southern Pacific Railroad built a joint-use line running along the eastern shore of the lake, delivering logs from the north side to a sawmill 3 miles (4.8 km) downstream from
10403-515: Was lost in the 1970s after the completion of the construction of a section of highway 96 which ran through traditional Karuk territory and paved over cemeteries, villages, spiritual sites and allotments. One of the main Klamath tribal land stewardship practices of cultural burning was first disrupted with the beginning of Spanish colonization in California in the 1780s. Spanish colonization led to diseases, genocide, forced removal of indigenous people, relocation to missions, and laws banning burning in
10506-452: Was particularly devastating. The Klamath River reached flows of 557,000 cubic feet per second (15,800 m /s), with high water reaching 55 feet (17 m), inundating the towns of Klamath and Klamath Glen under as much as 15 feet (4.6 m) of water, and destroying most of the Highway 101 bridge crossing the river. The highway bridge was rebuilt in a different location, though entrances to
10609-471: Was the first large incursion into the Klamath River region, and conflict soon broke out between tribes and gold seekers. As miners established claims along the river, they forced indigenous peoples from their settlements and fishing grounds; many natives were killed, while others died of introduced diseases. Several place names in the Klamath Basin originate from this era, including that of the Scott River, which
#513486