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the video you've just seen with that
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loud blasting sound is of History being
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Rewritten but this isn't the story of
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just one Dam three others along the clth
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river have faced the same fate these
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four Monumental structures spanning the
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263m long clth river have defined the
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region for decades but all are now a
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story of the past but why is America has
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spent $450 million into dismantling
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these historic once vital dams what
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could justify such a dramatic reversal
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of purpose this is I am civil engineer
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YouTube channel and you're watching the
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untold story of the world's largest dam
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undertaken the clamo river a Lifeline
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for many is reshaping its identity
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stretching 263 mi from Southern Oregon
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to Northern California the river serves
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as a vital artery eventually meeting the
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Pacific Ocean its vast Basin covers an
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impressive 16,000 square miles an area
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equivalent to Switzerland but the clamo
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is more than just a river it's a
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sanctuary for wildlife and a crucial
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resource for indigenous tribes who have
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thrived along its banks for thousands of
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years well let's start the story from
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the very beginning at the start of the
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20th century as the demand for clean and
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sustainable energy sources grew the idea
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of damning the cloth River was born
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between 1918 and 1964 four massive dams
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JC Bole Copco 1 Copco 2 and ironate Rose
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along the river built at a cost of $400
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million in today's terms these dams were
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engineering triumphs generating enough
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power for 70,000 homes and providing
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water for agriculture in the surrounding
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areas the four dams on the clth river
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ironate Copco 1 Copco 2 and JC boil
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played a significant role in the
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Region's hydroelectric power generation
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and irrigation systems for over a
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century collectively known as the lower
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cloth project these structures generated
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169 megaw of electricity sufficient to
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power approximately 70,000 homes across
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Southern Oregon and Northern
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California despite their contribution to
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renewable energy the environmental and
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ecological cost of these dams ultimately
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led to their removal the JC boil Dam an
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embankment structure stood 68 ft tall
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and was located at the uppermost section
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of the lower clamo project its primary
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purpose was power generation but it also
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disrupted the migratory roots of fish
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this Dam like the others contributed to
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warmer water temperatures and
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significant declines in fish populations
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such as salmon and trout which are vital
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for the ecosystem and the sustenance of
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tribes Copco 1 the oldest of the four
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1918 it was a concrete Arch Dam that
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together with its smaller counterpart
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Copco 2 stored water for irrigation and
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production Copco 2 the smallest at 33 ft
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tall was a concrete gravity Dam located
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just A4 mile Downstream of Copco 1
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despite their modest size these two dams
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played a pivotal role in the overall
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project but severely hindered the
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natural flow of the clamo river leading
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to the loss of fish habitats the Iron
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Gate Dam the tallest and last to be
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completed in 1964 served as a key water
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storage and power generation facility
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its significant height and storage
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capacity however exacerbated issues such
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as warmer water temperatures and
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sediment buildup this Dam's removal
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marked a critical turning point in
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efforts to restore the natural flow of
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the river and revive the ecosystem
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before these dams America relied heavily
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on coal oil and gas plants for energy
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inefficient inspired by Canada's success
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with hydrop power on the Niagara River
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the US turned to Rivers like the clth
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for renewable energy the first dam was
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built in 1918 with the last completed in
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1964 costing $400 Million by today's
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standards ironically removing them now
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is costing roughly the same amount each
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Dam served a purpose energy generation
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and irrigation for the clth basin's
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1,800 producers but these benefits came
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at a cost for indigenous tribes living
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near the river the clamo is sacred it
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was once the third largest salmon
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producer on the west coast but these
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dams disrupted natural fish migration
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leading to a 90% decline in chinuk
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salmon and other species warming Waters
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trapped behind the dams made conditions
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worse with algae blooms and declining
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water quality in 2002 low water flows
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and bacteria outbreaks killed 34,000
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fish the sight of motionless salmon
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lining the river banks was heartbreaking
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a turning point for the clamo tribes
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over decades indigenous tribes and
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environmental groups campaigned to
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remove the dams companies like Pacific
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Corp which owned the dams proposed
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alternative Solutions such as
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transporting fish by truck or building
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expens fish ladders however the cost of
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these proposals far exceeded the price
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of removing the dams altogether Paving
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the way for a more permanent solution in
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2010 an agreement was finally reached to
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dams the $50 million project was funded
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by a combination of sources pacificorp
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which imposed a search charge on its
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customers along with contributions from
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the governments of California and Oregon
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years of meticulous planning went into
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ensuring the removal process would
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minimize environmental disruption and
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restore the river's natural flow
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removing a dam is no easy task crew
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started with Copco 2 the smallest before
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any demolition billions of gallons of
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water had to be released gradually to
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minimize environmental damage sediments
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behind the reservoirs were tested and
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found to be safe for release excavators
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and cranes dismantled the structures
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piece by piece controlled blasting was
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used for thicker sections of concrete
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ensuring minimal disruption to the
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ecosystem the color of the river
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transformed from muddy Brown to a
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brilliant blue a sign of its Revival
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restoration goes beyond demolition teams
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stabilized river banks planted native
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species and restored nearly 2,000 acres
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of habitat seeds from 98 species were
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harvested and grown in nurseries
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including culturally significant plants
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like oak trees and lupine it's expected
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that salmon populations will recover by
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2061 despite the success not everyone
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supported the project communities around
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the dams lost lakefront properties jobs
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and tax revenue real estate values
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declined and some residents opposed
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paying higher electricity bills to fund
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the removal Pacific Corp however
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maintained that dismantling the dams was
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the most costeffective solution compared
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to maintaining the Aging
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infrastructure this isn't just an
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American story Europe is also
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dismantling obsolete dams to restore
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ecosystems in 2023 alone over 500 dams
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were removed across 15 countries
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signaling a global shift towards
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sustainable River Management the clth
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Rivers's Revival is a powerful reminder
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of the balance between human progress
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and environmental preservation it's a
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story of resilience not just for the
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river but for the indigenous tribes who
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fought for its Freedom if you're
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inspired by this Monumental achievement
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don't forget to like subscribe and share
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this video let's continue exploring the
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intersection of construction and
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conservation one story at a time
