In this episode we look to another river to see if there is anything it can tell us about what the future may hold for the Klamath. The Elwha River, located in the Olympic Peninsula, in Washington state, previously held the title of largest dam removal. It's been over a decade now since the Elwha's two hydroelectric dams were dismantled and so much has changed for the river, the animals, and the people. The Elwha and the Klamath are very different rivers, but in this episode we explore the Elwha's recovery to consider the possibilities for the Klamath. And we also consider what it means to have a connected river system, one that is not just free of dams but one that is holistically cared for.
It may be the last episode, but it's really just the beginning.

This podcast was made possible by support from American Rivers and was produced by Blue Canoe Studios with invaluable guidance from Kerry Donahue.

What if I told you the first people to paddle the length of the undammed Klamath River will be a group of high schoolers who had no whitewater experience a few years ago. In this episode I visit the Paddle Tribal Waters Program, which is teaching Indigenous youth to whitewater kayak so they can make the first descent of a freed Klamath and become educators and advocates for the river. It's an audacious plan--the undammed Klamath is unknown territory with some serious rapids. But it turns out the next generation is a group of incredibly capable, hopeful, uncommonly determined young people who are bringing their knowledge of and love for the river back to their communities and out into the world. It's enough to make the future seem a little more encouraging.

This podcast was made possible by support from American Rivers and was produced by Blue Canoe Studios with invaluable guidance from Kerry Donahue.

In this episode we hear from residents of the Copco Lake community who are missing one thing....a lake. The lake was created when the Copco One dam was built and it was drained in January prior to dam removal. I visited Copco Lake in February of this year to find a community reeling from this dramatic transformation to their town and experiencing a lot of grief, frustration, and uncertainty about the future. In this episode we give space to this sense of loss that exists amongst all the celebration and consider if a change in perspective could offer new opportunity for the town of Copco Lake.

This podcast was made possible by support from American Rivers and was produced by Blue Canoe Studios with invaluable guidance from Kerry Donahue.