Largest dam removal in US history approved

abc13.com

2 pointsindus3 comments

> The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given the final stamp of approval for four dams along the lower Klamath River to be removed, reinstating access to more than 300 miles of habitat for salmon and improving water quality.

How does removing the dams improve water quality? This is just a science question. I suppose that sitting around behind a dam could change the temperature of the water and affect the conditions for algae, bacteria, and so on, but I don't see anything in the article that makes it clear if this is what they mean.

do salmon come back when their historic spawning grounds are taken away for decades?

Well, certainly not the same salmon.

But I'm asking about the water quality. I'm not asking about the effect of dams on salmon, or even of the effect of poor water quality on salmon (which would be obvious). I'm only asking about the mechanisms by which dams change the quality of water.

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