The Klamath River, approximately 263 miles (400 km) long, is a major river in southern Oregon and northern California in the United States. It drains an arid farming valley in its upper reaches, passing swiftly through the mountains in its lower reaches before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. It is one of only three rivers that pass through the Cascade Range (the others being the Columbia River and the Pit River), and one of the longest rivers in California. Download high resolution version (850x638, 188 KB)Klamath River in northern California, photographed from State Hwy. ... Official language(s) (none)[1] Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Klamath Falls, is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. ... “Miles” redirects here. ... “km” redirects here. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... It has been suggested that Thousand Cubic Feet be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the unit of time. ... The cubic meter (symbol m³) is the SI derived unit of volume. ... This article is about the unit of time. ... It has been suggested that Thousand Cubic Feet be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the unit of time. ... The cubic meter (symbol m³) is the SI derived unit of volume. ... This article is about the unit of time. ... It has been suggested that Thousand Cubic Feet be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the unit of time. ... The cubic meter (symbol m³) is the SI derived unit of volume. ... This article is about the unit of time. ... Lake Ewauna is a small lake that lies between Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Shasta River from California State Hwy. ... The Scott River is a river in Siskiyou County, California. ... The Salmon River is a river is Siskiyou County, California. ... The Trinity River is the longest tributary of the Klamath River, approximately 130 mi (209 km) long, in northwestern California in the United States. ... Klamath River © 2004 Matthew Trump File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For other uses, see River (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) (none)[1] Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... “Cascades” redirects here. ... The Columbia River (French: fleuve Columbia) is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. ... The Pit River is a tributary of the Sacramento River, approximately 110 mi (176 km) long, in northeastern California in the United States. ...

Course

The Klamath River issues from the southern end of Lake Ewauna in southern Oregon, near the city of Klamath Falls. The short Link River connects Lake Ewauna to Upper Klamath Lake, which is sometimes said to be the source of the Klamath River. Lake Ewauna is a small lake that lies between Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River. ... Klamath Falls, is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. ... Southside of the Link River Dam The Link River is a short river in Oregon that connects Upper Klamath Lake to Lake Ewauna. ... Upper Klamath Lake Upper Klamath Lake is a large, shallow freshwater lake east of the Cascade Range in south central Oregon in the United States. ...

From Lake Ewauna, the Klamath River flows generally southwest into northern California, passing through the Klamath Mountains and along the southern side of the Siskiyou Mountains. It enters the Pacific at Klamath in southwestern Del Norte County, approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Crescent City. The Trinity Alps near Granite Lake in July 2005 Rogue River Gorge, Oregon The Klamath Mountains, sometimes called the salmon mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon, the highest peaks being Mount Eddy (6 ft / 2 m) in Siskiyou County, California, Thompson peak... Siskiyou Mountains The Siskiyou Mountains are a coastal mountain range in the northern Klamath Mountains in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. ... Babe the Blue Ox, Trees of Mystery, Klamath, California. ... Del Norte County is the northwesternmost county in the U.S. state of California, located on the Pacific coast south of Oregon. ... Crescent Citys harbor, with the jetty visible Crescent City is the county seat, and the only incorporated city of Del Norte County, California, USA. It is named after the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city. ...

The river's drainage basin above Upper Klamath Lake is fed primarily by the Williamson River and its tributaries, including the Sprague River, which stretch into south central Oregon west of the Cascades. In California, the Klamath receives the Shasta River from the south approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of Yreka, the Scott River from the south in central Siskiyou County, the Salmon River from the east along the border between Siskiyou and Humboldt counties, and the Trinity River from the south at Weitchpec in northern Humboldt County. A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (blue outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (green lines) of a contiguous area. ... Williamson River The Williamson River is a river in southwestern Oregon in the United States, approximately 75 mi (121 km) long. ... Sprague River The Sprague River is a tributary of the Williamson River, approximately 75 mi (121 km) long, in southwestern Oregon in the United States. ... Shasta River from California State Hwy. ... Yreka (pronounced wye-REE-ka ()) is the county seat of Siskiyou County, California. ... The Scott River is a river in Siskiyou County, California. ... Siskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. ... The Salmon River is a river is Siskiyou County, California. ... Humboldt County is a county located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific Ocean. ... The Trinity River is the longest tributary of the Klamath River, approximately 130 mi (209 km) long, in northwestern California in the United States. ... Weitchpec, California, located at the junction of the Klamath and Trinity Rivers Categories: US geography stubs ...

Much of the lower course of the river in California is within the Klamath National Forest. The lower course of the river in northern Humboldt passes through the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation, the Karuk Tribe and the Yurok Indian Reservation. Klamath National Forest is a national forest located in northern California, USA, and is known for the large number of redwood trees it contains. ... A smoky day at the Sugar Bowl Edward Curtis, photographer The Hupa are an Athabaskan tribe which inhabit northwestern California. ... Karuk Karuk (also Karok) are an indigenous people of California in the United States. ... The Yurok Indian Reservation is located in Humboldt County, California on a 44-mile stretch of the Klamath River. ...

An 11 mile (18 km) section of the river in Oregon south of Klamath Falls to the California-Oregon border, including the Hell's Corner Gorge, has been designated as the Klamath Wild and Scenic River. National Wild and Scenic River is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States. ...

The mouth of the Klamath River on the Pacific Ocean in Del Norte County, California

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,500 × 1,001 pixels, file size: 671 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,500 × 1,001 pixels, file size: 671 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...

River modifications

Below Klamath Falls, Lower Klamath Lake and a large portion of Tule Lake were drained for agriculture. The 230,000 acre (930 km²) federal Klamath Reclamation Project stores spring runoff in Gerber Reservoir, Clear Lake, and Upper Klamath Lake, along with several smaller reservoirs. The stored water, which otherwise would have flooded the reclaimed farmland of the Lower Klamath Lake and Tule Lake area, is released for irrigation purposes over the growing season.^[6] The Klamath Reclamation Project or Klamath Project was developed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation to supply farmers with irrigation water and farmland in the Klamath Basin. ...

In 2005, PacifiCorp applied to the federal government to relicense its four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath for up to 50 years. Environmentalists oppposed the relicensing, arguing that they should be removed to reopen the upper Klamath to salmon. No decision on the matter has been made to date. ^[7]

Recreation

Whitewater rafting is a popular recreational activity along the upper Klamath River below the J.C. Boyle Dam, and also along the lower Klamath River Downstream of the town of Happy Camp.

History

The name of the river comes from a Native American word klamet meaning "swiftness". It provided a significant route for passing through the Cascades. Archeological evidence in the valley suggests it has been inhabited for at least 7,000 years. The river and its fish are considered sacred by resident Native American tribes, which include the Yurok, Hupa, and Karuk tribes, as well a confederation of the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin people known as the Klamath Tribes. The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum in Berkeley, California contains a collection of carvings from some of the tribes in this region. Reconstruction of a Yurok Native American plankhouse constructed of redwood boards. ... A smoky day at the Sugar Bowl Edward Curtis, photographer The Hupa (also spelled Hoopa; Hupa: Natinixwe) are an Athabaskan tribe that inhabit northwestern California. ... Karuk Karuk (also Karok) are an indigenous people of California in the United States. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... For other uses, see Modoc (disambiguation). ... Flag of the Klamath Tribes The Klamath Tribes, formerly the Klamath Indian Tribe of Oregon, are a federally recognized confederation of three Native American tribes who traditionally inhabited Southern Oregon and Northern California in the United States: the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin. ... Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in northern California, in the United States. ...

In the 1960s, a project was proposed that would erect a dam twelve miles from the mouth of the river, creating a reservoir which would be used to divert water for consumption in Southern California. The dam was known as the Ah Pah Dam. It was never built. Ah Pah Dam was a proposed dam on the Klamath River in the U.S. state of California. ...

Natural history

The river is considered a prime habitat for Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, steelhead trout, and rainbow trout. Once the third-largest producer of salmon on the West Coast, only a fraction of the river's historic runs remain since the construction of six dams, built between 1908 and 1962. Coho salmon in the Klamath River are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. In 1963 the largest tributary to the Klamath, the Trinity River, was virtually removed from the Klamath drainage with the completion of the Lewiston and Trinity dams, diverting 90% of the Trinity's flow to the Sacramento Valley. Only 150 cubic feet per second (4 m³/s) was left to flow to the Klamath.^[8] Binomial name (Walbaum, 1792) The Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) (derived from Russian чавыча), is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. ... Binomial name Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum, 1792) The Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch, from the Russian кижуч kisutch) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. ... It has been suggested that Steelhead be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Steelhead be merged into this article or section. ...

The possible removal of the dams has been a controversial issue in the region in recent years. Despite intense lobbying by local Native American tribes, conservationists, and fishermen, the 2004 renewal application by PacifiCorp for another 50-year federal operating licence for the dams did not include any provisions for allowing salmon to return to over 300 miles of former habitat above the dams. In January 2007, however, the federal government ruled that PacifiCorp must equip four dams with fish ladders, a modification which would cost potentially more than $300 million. PacifiCorp has offered $300 million to upgrade the JC Boyle fish ladder and proposed trucking fish around the Copco #1 and Iron Gate dams, after having had been denied a licence to build a power generator in Utah. "The fact that the Klamath project is an emissions-free, renewable resource will make it more valuable to our customers in the future and reduce our overall carbon footprint," PacifiCorp President Fehrman said in a statement.^[9] ScottishPower Plc is an energy company headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland. ... Pool-and-weir fish ladder at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River Fishways, most commonly referred to as fish ladders but also known as fish passes, are structures placed on or around man-made barriers (such as dams and weirs) to assist the natural migration of diadromous fishes. ...

A separate controversy surrounds the use of water in the Upper Klamath Basin for irrigated agriculture, which was temporarily halted in 2001 to protect endangered salmon and lake fish during a severe drought. The federal government, under Interior Secretary Gale Norton, reversed this decision in 2002, and provided full water deliveries to irrigators as the drought continued despite the fact that Klamath area tribes have treaty rights that predate the settlement of the farmers. Norton argued for a "free market" approach by allowing farmers to sell the water to the Native Americans downstream. The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior, concerned with such matters as national parks and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton Gale Ann Norton (born March 11, 1954) served as the 48th United States Secretary of the Interior, serving under President George W. Bush. ...

According to biologists from the state of California and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,^[10] the atypically low flows in the river along with high fish return numbers and high water temperatures allowed for a gill rot diesease to kill at least 33,000 salmon in September 2002, who died before they could reproduce. The kill was downstream of the Trinity inflow, and the salmon of the Trinity were impacted to a greater degree than the Klamath as the Trinity run was at its peak. The report does mention that the official fish kill estimate of 34,056 is probably quite low and could be only half of the actual loss.

Klamath flows as measured at the river gauge in Keno show a low flow of 800 ft³/s (23 m³/s) in September 1908 (before irrigation began). During the 2002 fish kill flows of 475 ft³/s (13 m³/s) were recorded. During September of the 2001 irrigation shut off, an average of 688 ft³/s (19 m³/s) was recorded.^[11]

See also

• List of California rivers
• List of Oregon rivers

The following is a partial listing of rivers in the state of California, United States of America. ... The following is a partial listing of rivers in the state of Oregon, United States of America. ...

References

“USDA” redirects here. ... InsertSLUTTY WHORES≤ non-formatted text here{| class=toccolours border=1 cellpadding=4 style=float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; width: 20em; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%; clear: right; |+ United States Geological Survey |- |style= align=center colspan=2| [[Image:USGS logo. ... GNIS (The Geographic Names Information System) contains name and locative information about almost two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its Territories. ... Google Earth is a virtual globe program that was originally called Earth Viewer and was created by Keyhole, Inc. ...

External links

• Oregon Wild advocates for basin-wide Klamath River restoration.
• US Department of Agriculture site on the Klamath River basin.
• Klamath Wild and Scenic River
• State of California hydrological monitoring of the Klamath and tributaries.
• US Army site on rafting the Klamath.
• US Fish and Wildlife Service endangered species in the Klamath Basin
• Friends of the River advocation of dam removal
• Hearst Museum site on Klamath Valley carvings
• NASA Earth Observatory: drought and irrigation shut off in the Klamath Basin
• Mid Klamath Watershed Council watershed restoration
• Klamath Waters Digital Library
• Battle for the Klamath A documentary about the Klamath water crisis
• [1] "U.S. Orders Modification of Klamath River Dams," Washington Post.com, January 31, 2007