Copco Lake vanished almost overnight.
"It was just a moment that I couldn't believe. It's actually going away and it looks so different now that the lake is completely drained, all the memories," said John Wedge Wardlaw, a resident who has lived by Copco Lake for 54 years.
The sudden disappearance of the lake is due to a dam removal project on the Klamath River that had been planned for over twenty years.
Dam Removal: For the Salmon
Copco Lake is essentially an artificial lake created for a hydroelectric project. Its name comes from the Copco Number 1 Dam and the acronym for the California Oregon Power Company (COPCO), the builders of the entire Klamath River Hydroelectric Project. This lake on the California-Oregon border was formed in the 1920s with the completion of the dam and the accumulation of water. In January 2024, nearly a century later, it was erased from the map with an explosion, along with the dam.
The explosion created a drainage hole at the base of the dam, leading to a rapid drop in lake levels. Within three days, a large area of the lakebed was exposed. This was a significant milestone for environmentalists who had been working towards this for over two decades and for the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), the organization responsible for the dam removal project. According to the KRRC, the removal of this 400-foot-high dam will be the largest river dam removal project in U.S. history.
"The Klamath is now reconnected for the first time in a century. We can envision a bright future for what was once the third most productive salmon-bearing river on the West Coast of the lower 48 states," said Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation.
Dam Removal Project Timeline (According to Klamath River Renewal Corporation)
The removal of several dams on the Klamath River aims to protect and restore salmon habitats. Concern for the salmon population in the river stems from the Klamath River fish kill event in 2002. According to a report by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, approximately 34,056 salmon suddenly died in September 2002. The main cause of this disaster was the river's low water levels, which resulted from the dams withholding water during drought years to supply irrigation water to the Klamath Basin.
The Un-Dam the Klamath campaign, lasting over twenty years, has officially begun, with environmentalists finally claiming victory. On February 25, 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), marking the formal start of the construction phase for the removal of four dams on the Klamath River.
However, not everyone is thrilled about this.
Satellite Data by Skywatch
Satellite images of Copco Lake before and after the dam removal.
Residents' Concern
"It's really sad because the lake where I've spent 54 years is gone," said Wardlaw. "Moreover, we haven't received any compensation for the loss of property value."
Wardlaw's house was built in 1970 after his grandfather bought a property and constructed a family vacation home. The house was built on the water's edge with a private dock extending into the lake. "For the past 54 years, we could set off from the dock anytime and row on the lake; but after the dam was removed, all that's left in front of our house is mud, and we haven't received any compensation."
"I know this is for the protection of the salmon, but we don't want to be the bad guys," said Alan Marcillet, who bought a lakeside property after retiring and lived there. "What's wrong with wanting to continue a peaceful lakeside life?"
The Klamath River Renewal Corporation has not responded to issues regarding compensation for loss in home values. According to a statement they issued, they are responsible for addressing a range of problems caused by the dam removal, including water supply challenges. KRRC announced an investment of four million dollars to build new water infrastructure for the City of Yreka. For lakeside residents, according to Wardlaw, KRRC offered $1,000 per household to address the problem of drying wells, with the condition that KRRC would no longer be responsible after accepting this compensation. Wardlaw rejected this offer, and currently, he and his neighbors' water supply comes from a temporary water tank, which KRRC refills weekly.
The dissatisfaction and protests of residents could not stop the progress of the Klamath River Dam Removal project. After 20 years of advocacy and debate, following FERC's approval, work rapidly advanced in 2023. In September, the smallest, Copco Number 2 Dam, was dismantled. By November, KRRC had removed all floating facilities.
"We know we can't change what's happening," said Wardlaw. "But my friends and I want to do our best to preserve the memories of this lake that has been a part of our lives for so long. We want to do something."
The Memory
Wardlaw displayed a cherished collection of photos, showing him and his friends at Copco Lake every five years from 1982 to 2022.
"In 1982, my mother and grandmother allowed me to bring my best friends to the house. Five of us took a photo that's become known as the 5-year photo, and we've repeated it every 5 years since then," Wardlaw explained. "In 1982 and 1987, it was just for fun, to mimic the previous photo, but it gradually became a tradition, until 2022, when we realized it was our last time taking a photo by the lake."
John Dickson is another subject in the five-year photo and a photographer. "In 2023, we met again, even though it wasn't the customary 'five year' mark, but it was our last year to enjoy the memories of the lake. "said Dickson, " All of us from around the country gathered at Copco, and I realized that we had an opportunity to record something that has never happened before in the U.S. —the dropping water levels in the dam. We could record it happening."
1982
1987
1992
1997
2002
2007
2017
2022
"The Five Year Photo"(Hover over the picture to see the year)
Dickson decided to set up a camera facing Copco Lake in front of Wardlaw's dock and remotely control it to regularly record video.
"For nearly a year, I photographed the four seasons at Copco Lake, from summer until it was covered with ice and snow," Dickson said.
"I'll never forget this for the rest of my life. John Wardlaw texted me and said, 'The dam just blew up. It was dropping significantly.' And then, when I suddenly saw the lake actually recede and landforms start to appear from the middle of the lake, I started shooting like 5 or 6 times a day. What was most stunning to me was to see the land under the water suddenly appear because the river that's now where Copco Lake was happens to be right near the cabin where you are."
Copco Lake Before and After Dam Removal (Photo by Lifan Zhang)
After the lake had completely drained, Wardlaw carefully ventured onto the lakebed. "There's no use in saying anything now, I just have to accept the new Klamath River, accept that the lake which has been with me for 54 years is gone."
"There is also something good, though," Wardlaw said as he carefully picked up a rust-streaked metal can from beside the dock on the lakebed. "Like finding this homemade anchor that belonged to my grandfather's era. It's a coffee can filled with cement, used as an anchor, that I lost around 1980. I never imagined I'd see it again in my lifetime."
What surprised Wardlaw even more was the sound of flowing water. "Before, except on windy days, the lake was very quiet, but now you can hear the sound of flowing water 24x7 from the window, which feels very lively and vibrant."
John Wardlaw stands on the dry lakebed of Copco Lake.(Photo by Lifan Zhang)
Wardlaw became a supporter of salmon and watershed environmental conservation after the lake disappeared. "Now that we've paid such a high price, I just hope the dam removal achieves its intended purpose. But I really don't know if the salmon can still swim hundreds of miles from the Pacific back to the Copco area after a century; although I hope so. "
He also mentioned that he personally noticed the draining of the lake and the changes in the terrain caused many wildlife deaths. "I truly hope the dam removal is more beneficial than detrimental to the environment, but I'm not sure if it's scientifically sound."
Can Dam Removal Save Rivers?
Darren M. Ward is a fish researcher at the Department of Fisheries Biology, Cal Poly Humboldt. Before the dam was removed, he used modeling to estimate the recovery of salmon in the Klamath River.
According to Ward's research, the removal of the dam will aid in several aspects of salmon population recovery, including breeding, disease prevention, and notably improving the salmon populations in some of the river's tributaries.
“We hypothesize that newly accessible habitat in the study tributaries will provide substantial rearing and spawning habitat for Coho salmon after dam removal.”said Ward.
"The removal of dams is not only beneficial for the recovery of fish populations but also has a profound impact on the overall protection of the watershed," said Mitul Luhar, an Associate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering at USC.
Luhar emphasized that letting rivers flow naturally is crucial for rehabilitating habitats for native fish and might also benefit birds and other organisms that previously flourished in or near the river.
According to a report by American Rivers, including Copco Dam 2, in 2023, 25 states across the US carried out dam removal projects, demolishing a total of 80 dams, 15 more than in 2022. The dam removal project on the Klamath River is the largest to date.
The Future
Dickson and Wardlaw created a website to commemorate Copco Lake. It features not only the time-lapse videos of Copco Lake draining but also a series of 180-degree virtual tours of Copco Lake taken by Dickson in 2006.
"I realized today that what I miss the most is that I can't just come down here to my house, go down to the lake, hop in the boat and go fishing, or just go for a boat ride. I can't just walk down to the dock and fish," Wardlaw said. "So that's very sad. I'm going to miss those things a lot. And I miss seeing it. I look out there, and every time I open the blinds, I miss seeing the blue reflection of the sky on the top of the water, seeing the birds flying over it that are looking for fish."
After a moment of silence, he sent messages to the friends in the photos, inviting them to come to the lakeside again this summer. "We've said goodbye to Copco Lake. Now we're going to welcome the Klamath River back and welcome my new life."
