The World’s Biggest Dam Removal and River Restoration on the Klamath River

Dam Removals are Returning the Klamath River to its Natural State

The Klamath River is flowing free once again. For the first time in over 60 years, water moves uninterrupted through this iconic watershed following the historic removal of Iron Gate and three other dams. It’s the largest river restoration project in the world, and it’s about much more than infrastructure.

This film follows the work now underway to heal the riverbanks, reconnect critical salmon habitat, and return stewardship of the land to the Tribal Nations that have cared for it since time immemorial. Led by partners including Resource Environmental Solutions, the Yurok Tribe and Shasta Indian Nation, restoration crews are transforming newly exposed land into floodplain-connected habitat to support Chinook, Coho, and Steelhead across their life cycles.

But the ecological revival is only part of the story. For leaders like William Bowers of The Yurok Tribe and Shasta Indian Nation members, this moment represents homecoming, healing, and justice. As the land is returned to its original stewards and salmon swim back to their ancestral waters, this work becomes a powerful act of cultural restoration and intergenerational resilience.