The Interior Department will put $46 million toward wetland and habitat restoration in the Klamath River Basin, part of an ongoing bid to balance environmental and agricultural water demands in the region after the removal of four dams.
The agency announced Wednesday that it will fund two dozen projects to restore wetlands, shorelines and native habitats in southern Oregon and Northern California.
The nonprofit Klamath River Renewal Corp. recently completed the removal of four dams — the Iron Gate, Copco 1, Copco 2 and J.C. Boyle structures — restoring more than 400 miles of free-flowing waterway for salmon and other fish species.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is funding restoration projects that will provide lasting ecological solutions, critical habitat restoration needed for threatened and endangered species, and agriculture resilience for the Klamath Basin,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. “With the help of our partners in the basin, our shared commitment to protecting this ecosystem will benefit the watersheds, agriculture, forests and abundant populations of species that call this landscape home.”
