California County Declares State of Emergency Over Dam Removals on Klamath River

Residents were warned not to drink the river’s water, which has already killed scores of fish and wildlife since the start of the dam removals.

Excess water spills over the top of a dam on the Lower Klamath River known as Copco 1 near Hornbrook, Calif., on March 3, 2020. Gillian Flaccus/AP Photo

Siskiyou County, in the northernmost part of California, declared a state of emergency on March 26 and requested state assistance to help residents affected by the state’s dam removal project on the Klamath River.

Since January, residents living along the river have watched as the 100-year-old Copco Lake disappeared after the state began drawing down dams along the bi-state waterway. The state’s plan to remove four dams along the river is part of its strategy to restore salmon fisheries and habitat.