Klamath River
The Klamath River is a river, approximately 250 miles in length, in southern Oregon and northern California in the United States.
It rises in Upper Klamath Lake, just above Klamath Falls, Oregon and flows roughly southwestward into California, along the southern slope of the Siskyou Mountains. It flows into the Pacific Ocean south of Klamath, California.
The name of the river comes from a Native American word klamet meaning "swiftness". It is one of only three rivers that pass through the Cascade Range, and the second longest river in California. It provided a significant passage for the nearby Native American tribes to pass through the Cascades. Archeological evidence in the valley suggests it has been inhabited for at least 7,000 years. The area is considered sacred by both the Shasta Nation and the Klamath tribes. The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum in Berkeley, California contains a collection of carvings from tribes in the regions.
An 11-mile section of the river in Oregon south of Klamath Falls to the California-Oregon border, including the Hell's Corner Gorge, has been designated as the Klamath Wild and Scenic River.
The river is considered a prime habitat for king salmon, coho salmon, silver salmon, steelhead trout, and rainbow trout. Many of these species are considered threatened because of the damming of the river, which began in 1916. The possible removal of the dams has been a controversial issue in the region in recent years. Moreover, the removal of water from the Upper Klamath Lake for agriculture, which was temporarily halted in 2001, has fueled a political battle between conservationists and farmers in the Klamath Irrigation District.
See also: List of California rivers, List of Oregon rivers
External links
Referenced By
Geography of the United States Intermontane Plateaus | Geography of the United States Pacific Mountain System | Klamath | Klamath County, Oregon | List of California rivers | List of Oregon rivers | List of United States Rivers | List of rivers in the United States | List of rivers of the Americas | Rivers in the United States | Rivers of America | Rivers of the Americas | Salmon
|
