Yurok Tribe Wins Klamath River Ruling That Forces Federal Irrigation Project to Protect Salmon

KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. — In a pivotal decision protecting the Klamath River’s recovering salmon runs, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled in favor of endangered species- but specifically in favor of the Yurok Tribe, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, and the Institute for Fisheries Resources.

Court Entrenches Salmon Protection in Ruling in Favor of the Yurok Tribe

The Klamath River is the primary driver of ocean-based recreational and commercial salmon fisheries in Northern California.

The Yurok Tribe’s salmon quota, established by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, has been inadequate to meet the Yurok people’s subsistence and ceremonial needs for decades.

The Yurok Tribe and others filed a lawsuit in 2019 in response to the significant role that the Bureau of Reclamation’s mismanagement of finite water supplies has played in the decline of salmon populations.

The Appeals Court determined that the operations of a large federal irrigation project near the Klamath River’s headwaters must adhere to Endangered Species Act protections for imperiled salmon and suckers.

Joseph L. James, the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe, welcomed the outcome. He said, “This decision supports the continued healing of the Klamath Basin and our community.”

The ruling means the Bureau of Reclamation’s operation of the 240,000-acre Klamath Irrigation Project must adhere to the Endangered Species Act, ensuring the survival of Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast (SONCC) Coho salmon and Chinook salmon.

Glen Spain, the NW Regional Director and General Legal Counsel of the Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR), confirmed the ruling helps restore accountability and said, “When the river suffers, our coastal communities suffer, and our jobs disappear.”