This project removed an abandoned man-made concrete barrier on Jenny Creek, the largest tributary in the Klamath River’s hydroelectric reach in Siskiyou County, timed to coincide with the removal of Iron Gate Dam in 2024, to restore access for Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey to 1.9 miles of previously blocked habitat.
Project Name: Jenny Creek Man-made Barrier Removal
Location: Jenny Creek, 1.05 miles upstream of the former Iron Gate Reservoir, Siskiyou County, California, near the Oregon border. Jenny Creek flows out of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Oregon and into far northern California, where it joins the Klamath River. It is the largest tributary in the Klamath River’s hydroelectric reach, with flows estimated at 30–500 CFS entering the footprint of the former Iron Gate Reservoir. Iron Gate Dam was the lowermost of a series of power dams on the Klamath River removed in the largest dam removal in US history.
Historical Fish Presence: Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey were historically present in Jenny Creek and the Klamath River. Access was lost when Iron Gate Dam was constructed in 1964. Coho salmon are listed as threatened or endangered under both the California Endangered Species Act and the federal ESA. Habitat surveys conducted in 2020 estimated Jenny Creek could support up to 18,100 summer rearing Coho salmon and 51 redds following barrier removal.
Project Lead: Trout Unlimited
Project Partners: California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) — design, permitting, and implementation; Bureau of Land Management; Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC, landowner); Modoc Nation; Yurok Tribe; Karuk Tribe; Shasta Indian Nation
CFPF Funding: $100,000
Project Description: An abandoned concrete barrier spanning the full width of Jenny Creek prevented fish passage during low flows and blocked juvenile salmon passage at all flows. The project removed this barrier to extend accessible anadromous habitat 1.9 miles upstream to a natural waterfall. Cool, spring-fed streams like Jenny Creek are crucial refuges for Klamath River salmon, allowing fish to dart past warm river sections into cold-water pockets. The project was timed strategically to coincide with the 2024 Klamath dam removals. Iron Gate Dam was removed from the Klamath River in Summer 2024 as part of the world’s largest suite of dam removals.
Expected Completion: Fall 2024
Project Effectiveness: The Yurok Tribe announced on September 30, 2025 that restoration efforts on Jenny Creek had been completed, marking a significant milestone for the local ecosystem, noting that for over 60 years the creek was inaccessible to salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey due to its location behind the former Iron Gate Dam and its own concrete dam. Trout Unlimited’s monitoring plan included before-and-after photopoints to document change over time; longer-term fish population monitoring is expected to be conducted by agency and tribal partners.
