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Youth Make Historic First Descent of the Klamath River

August 11, 2025  |  dam removal, environmental advocacy, indigenous youth, klamath river, paddle tribal waters, ríos to rivers, river restoration, whitewater paddling, youth recreation
a group of kayakers have formed a circle with the kayaks making a rainbow on the water
Photo courtesy of Ríos to Rivers

Paddle Tribal Waters is an remarkable program created by Ríos to Rivers that invites Indigenous youth to develop whitewater paddling and environmental advocacy skills while building community on and off the river. The program began in 2022 with a summer kayak trip and river advocacy training and has since expanded to offer a semester-long high school program designed to foster additional skill development and deeper community engagement.

three youth sit in kayaks next to each other and smile
Photo courtesy of Ríos to Rivers

The youth who participated in Paddle Tribal Waters over the past several years have achieved many important outcomes. They have learned to read the river, gained technical paddling skills, built community with other Indigenous young people, connected with nature, and used their voices to advocate for healthy waterways. In addition to these accomplishments, a central goal of Paddle Tribal Waters was to prepare a team of youth who would participate in the first descent of the Klamath River after the removal of four dams.

a young person kayaks solo through whitewater
Photo courtesy of Ríos to Rivers

The Klamath River flows through Oregon and northern California before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Until recently, it was impossible to paddle from the headwaters to the mouth of the Klamath River because of the large number of hydroelectric dams that disrupted water flow and blocked the movement of both humans and wildlife between different parts of the river. The Klamath River dam removal project is the largest such initiative in U.S. history and has created almost immediate positive effects. For example, in spring 2025 salmon were observed swimming up the Klamath River to breed, a natural process that had been disrupted by the presence of the dams. Salmon populations in the area have been dwindling for years, but many are hopeful that improved access to healthy spawning habitat will improve their numbers.

Young people run down a beach while holding a flag
Photo courtesy of Ríos to Rivers

With the river now clear of dams, the group of youth and mentors from Paddle Tribal Waters were able to make their historic first descent of the Klamath River in June and July of 2025. The youth were able to put their paddling skills into action on the month-long expedition from the headwaters of the Klamath River all the way to the Pacific Ocean and see firsthand the results of collective environmental action as the river was restored to its natural course. The expedition culminated with community celebrations at the mouth of the river. While the first descent in itself is an incredible accomplishment, the ultimate goal of Paddle Tribal Waters is to encourage youth participants to pass on their knowledge through Indigenous-led paddling programs in their home communities that both share the joy of spending time on water with others and support environmental action promoting the integrity of our waterways.

The Klamath River descent was years in the making, and NRF is proud to have supported Paddle Tribal Waters through an Outdoor Grant in 2022 that helped to lay the foundations for this summer’s success.