ENVIRONMENT

Prayers and tears mark 20 years since the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 230,000 people

Nice News -  In a momentous victory for Indigenous tribes and environmentalists, the nation’s largest-ever dam removal project reached completion this year. The last of the four dams in the Klamath River along the California-Oregon border was demolished on Aug. 28, opening the door for a thriving salmon population.
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“The biggest thing for me, the significance of the dam removal project, is just hope — understanding that change can be made,” Brook Thompson, a member of the Yurok Tribe, told the Los Angeles Times.
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The milestone followed a two-decade-long campaign to save the Klamath River after an estimated 70,000 salmon perished due to toxic algae in 2002. Aside from driving the species to near extinction, this also prevented local Native tribes from engaging in core parts of their culture and fishing traditions.
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But the path to restoration is now in sight as the river can flow freely again, reopening up to 400 miles of salmon spawning and nursery habitats — and reminding youth that progress is possible. “They’re able to see the tribe has made progress, and they see they can be part of solutions,” Thompson told USA Today.