Key Dates in the History of the Klamath
(prior to Agreements)
Circa 5000 BCE
The first Native Americans settle in the Klamath Basin
1850s
The first gold miners arrive and use water cannons to extract ore, which results in wiping out hillsides and silting the river
1905
The federal government creates the Klamath Reclamation Project, draining marshes and lakes to create fertile farm land
1908
President Theodore Roosevelt creates the Klamath Wildlife Refuge to protect critical habitat for migratory birds
Post WWI and WWII
Veterans are given homestead rights based on a lottery and promised an endless supply of water for farming
1917 to 1964
Four hydroelectric dams are built on the river, cutting off migratory salmon and steelhead from 300 miles of spawning habitat
2001
The federal government shuts off water to farmers to protect flows for fish as required by the ESA, touching off massive protests, illegal water diversions by farmers, and the famous "bucket brigade"
2002
The federal government takes the opposite approach in another drought year by delivering water to farmers, which leaves insufficient water for migrating salmon that results in a huge
fish die-off
Continue reading the history of the Klamath Agreements on page 48.
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