Changing Planet, River Restoration
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Wednesday, April 23, at 10 PM
Thursday, April 24, at 3 AM
Wednesday, April 30, at 5 PM
CHANGING PLANET returns for a fourth year to explore how ongoing restoration projects are bringing life back to two rivers: Northern California’s Klamath and the Seine in Paris.
Rivers are essential for both humans and nature. Two billion people rely on rivers for drinking water, and a quarter of the food we eat depends on them. But rivers are in deep trouble: pollution, excessive water extraction, and huge dams blocking their flow have taken a toll on freshwater species.
In CHANGING PLANET: RIVER RESTORATION, Dr. M. Sanjayan returns to Northern California, where the largest dam removal project in U.S. history aims to resuscitate the Klamath River. The Klamath had one of the most significant salmon runs on the West Coast until the early 1900s when massive dams were constructed to generate hydroelectric power. But dams don’t just hold back water; they block salmon from returning to their spawning grounds, prevent nutrients from flowing downstream, and create favorable conditions for toxic blue-green algae to flourish in reservoirs. As a result, the Klamath ecosystem was damaged, leading to a more than 90% decline in Chinook salmon.
During Sanjayan’s visit three years ago, he met members of the Yurok tribe, who had started to restore the river. However, progress was slow, with each mile of restoration taking a year’s work, meaning it could take centuries to repair the 254 miles of the Klamath. The most effective way to heal the river would be to demolish the dams, allowing it to flow freely again. Finally, after decades of campaigning, the dams were dismantled in 2024, reveals Frankie Myers, Vice Chair of the Yurok tribe. This past fall, salmon returned and could swim upriver unimpeded for the first time in a century.