Reconnect Klamath focuses on the shared values of Klamath Basin communities.
In order to thrive, we must reconnect our ecologies, cultures, and economies from the mouth of the Klamath River to its headwaters.
One Basin, One Community
We support efforts by the Klamath’s diverse rural communities to collaborate and communicate on solutions to common problems. If we are to survive and thrive into the future, we have to do it together.
Site Visit: Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration in the Upper Klamath Basin
On a sunny Monday in late July, a crew from Trout Unlimited hosted a tour for about a dozen restoration practitioners on a working cattle ranch 30 minutes outside of Bly, Oregon in the Upper Klamath Basin. The tour highlighted early results from a recently-completed low-tech process-based restoration effort on the North Fork Sprague River. The project was designed to address several impairments, including channel incision, loss of floodplain connectivity, and loss of wetland habitat while perserving the ranch’s ability to graze cattle. Among other benefits, the work is expected to improve habitat for native fish, including Redband Trout and eventually Chinook salmon. Continue Reading Site Visit: Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration in the Upper Klamath Basin
Clean Water is Good for Business
Whether you are a fisherman, farmer, outfitter, or business owner in a riverside community, good water quality is key to your livelihood. The Klamath River has suffered from poor water quality caused largely by the four hydroelectric dams that will be removed by the end of 2024. However, the rest of the watershed still struggles with water quality challenges. Reconnect Klamath promotes cooperative efforts led by Tribes, local governments, non-profits, and irrigation districts to improve water quality.
Water Conservation
The Klamath River once hosted prolific runs of salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and lamprey. The Upper Basin is home to c’waam and koptu, sucker species found only in the Klamath along with trophy-sized redband trout. We support community efforts to restore habitat that in turn will support in-river and ocean fisheries, a local recreational economy, and sustainable agriculture.
Local Stewardship
Wildlife that depends on the Klamath Wildlife Refuges also needs water to survive. Reconnect Klamath promotes a basin-wide view to allocating limited water resources to support resident and migratory bird populations, native fish, and other wildlife.