TU’s Brian Johnson and filmmaker Shane Anderson join The River Rambler podcast to share observations from the biggest river reconnection project in history
Brian Johnson, TU’s senior policy advisor for western water and climate returned to The River Rambler podcast for a fascinating conversation about the unfolding Klamath dam removals with host Richard Harrington and Emmy award-winning filmmaker Shane Anderson.
The trio discussed the extensive planning process and engineering involved with physically removing the structures, the short-term impacts to water quality and helped counter many of the myths and exaggerations circulating online among opponents to dam removal.
Johnson has spent nearly 20 years working to reconnect the Klamath River. Alongside his role at TU, Johnson serves as the board president of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the nonprofit he helped form to take ownership of the dams and manage their removal and restoration of the former sites.
Anderson’s Swiftwater Films is thoroughly recording every detail of the Klamath dam removal effort for a forthcoming documentary. This has given him a front-row seat to the reservoir drawdown and revegetation, the water quality testing, demolition of the dams themselves and the incredible resilience of the watershed as the river and the tributaries reestablish their channels through the former impoundments.
The River Rambler is sponsored by our friends at Swing the Fly Magazine.
Support Swiftwater Films
As Brian Johnson mentions in the River Rambler episode, many of us are living through this historic moment on the Klamath River because of Shane Anderson’s incredible photos and videos. You can keep up with the Klamath dam removal process through Swiftwater’s social media channels and support this important, independent work with tax-deductible donations through The Redford Center’s page for Undamming Klamath.
Learn More
After listening to The River Rambler episode, dive deeper into Klamath Dam removals and a guest post from John McMillan about the lessons of dam removal and restoration from Washington’s Elwha River.
Klamath Reservoir Drawdowns: Short-term Costs for much larger long-term gains
Planning for salmon and steelhead to return as the Klamath dams come down
The Elwha River: A wild ride through a decade of dam removal