"The Klamath basin is a bioregion, but its story is more than local...the Basin's story needs to be told within the larger contexts of American and world history." 
– Stephen Most
River of Renewal: Myth and History in the Klamath Basin

Restoring biological diversity

The Klamath river basin contains a wealth of biological diversity that extends 263 miles from the eastern high desert in Oregon to the Pacific Ocean in northern California’s temperate rainforest. Historically, the Klamath River boasted the third largest salmon run on the West coast (after the Columbia and Sacramento rivers). Today, estimates suggest the salmon population is 10% of what it once was; several Klamath fish species are on the Endangered Species list, qualifying them for environmental protections from the federal government. The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and the companion hydro agreement contain measures to restore the historic Klamath fisheries, which will also bring economic, cultural and environmental benefits.

Located along the Pacific flyway, the upper basin is a critical migratory stop for 80% of the flyway’s migratory bird population, including bald eagles, sandhill cranes, white-faced ibis and snow geese among others. The Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge was our nation’s first waterfowl refuge, designated by President Roosevelt in 1908. The Lower Klamath and the nearby Tule Lake Refuge will benefit from restoration efforts that will – for the first time ever – guarantee water levels to sustain wildlife habitat.

Restoring rich cultural heritage

The Klamath Basin also has a rich cultural heritage that includes three Native American tribes (Klamath, Yurok and Karuk) and hundreds of families involved in agriculture, many of them third generation ranchers and farmers. The tribal and agricultural communities depend on farming, forestry, and fishing and their cultures are intimately tied to the land and its productivity. As in other regions of the West, water is a vital resource in the Basin; the Klamath restoration efforts foster the co-existence of Klamath cultures by outlining water allocation decisions to competing, and growing, demands.

In December 2008, National Geographic magazine published a feature story, "Reuniting a River” about the Klamath basin that helps explain the unique features and cultures in the region. (View an interactive photo map of the Klamath Basin.)

Environmental and economic prosperity

For nearly a century, management practices pitted environmental protection against economic prosperity in the Klamath. Today, the collaborative process of developing a “settlement” agreement brought together dozens of stakeholders (many former enemies) to craft solutions. Tribes, farmers, ranchers, fishermen, conservationists, and government agencies from county, state and federal jurisdictions put aside acrimony and lawsuits and found a common purpose in creating a shared future where environmental health and economic prosperity go hand in hand.