Since 2001, Sustainable Northwest has worked with rural community leaders in the Klamath Basin to design solutions for fisheries and agriculture.  Sustainable Northwest began facilitating meetings between tribal and agricultural leaders in 2005 to encourage a comprehensive approach to restore the Klamath Basin.  Basin leaders, state and federal agencies, and numerous interest groups then worked together as part of the Klamath Settlement Group to create the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. 

The Klamath River Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) has the potential to resolve conflict in the Klamath Basin, restore critical habitat for salmon and revitalize local communities. The KBRA is a departure from single issue restoration or community development plans.  It takes a holistic approach and could serve as a new model for community based natural resource management in the West.  Learn more about the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. 

Recent Progress toward a Restoration Agreement

Klamath Dam removal agreement announced

On September 30, 2009, the utility PacifiCorp, which owns the four dams; the federal and state government; and a coalition of agricultural, environmental and fishing groups shared the outline of the agreement. Learn more.

Senate Bill 76 – An initial step towards dam removal and Basin recovery

In February 2009, Oregon Governor Kulongoski introduced Senate Bill 76 to fund dam removal in the Klamath Basin.  This legislation is a key component of an Agreement in Principle to remove four dams along the mainstem of the Klamath River.  The alternative to dam removal is re-licensing, which would require costly retrofits, entail years of litigation and slow critical restoration efforts.  Learn more about Senate Bill 76. 

Agreement in Principle to remove four dams along the Klamath River

In November 2008, PacifiCorp, the Department of Interior and state officials from Oregon and California signed an Agreement in Principle to remove four dams along the Klamath River.  This action is a critical component of the larger Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and will create passage for salmon for the first time in nearly 100 years. But it is only one piece of a larger puzzle. 

Sustainable Northwest continues to work with partners in the Basin to ensure that the larger objectives of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement -- increased flows and restored habitat for fish, certainty of irrigation for farmers and ranchers, and targeted economic development for communities -- are met.  Learn more about the Agreement in Principle.