Premieres Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS app + Encores Thursday, April 24 at 9 p.m. on KPBS 2 + Sunday, April 27 at 10 p.m. on KPBS 2
In CHANGING PLANET "River Restoration," Dr. M. Sanjayan returns to Northern California, where the largest dam removal project in U.S. history aims to resuscitate the Klamath River. The Klamath had one of the most significant salmon runs on the West Coast until the early 1900s when massive dams were constructed to generate hydroelectric power.
But dams don’t just hold back water; they block salmon from returning to their spawning grounds, prevent nutrients from flowing downstream, and create favorable conditions for toxic blue-green algae to flourish in reservoirs. As a result, the Klamath ecosystem was damaged, leading to a more than 90% decline in Chinook salmon.
The most effective way to heal the river would be to demolish the dams, allowing it to flow freely again. Finally, after decades of campaigning, the dams were dismantled in 2024, reveals Frankie Myers, Vice Chair of the Yurok tribe. This past fall, salmon returned and could swim upriver unimpeded for the first time in a century.
Also in this episode of CHANGING PLANET, journalist and Paralympian Ade Adepitan investigates the cleanup of the Seine, where it’s been illegal to swim for over 100 years.
For decades, raw sewage flowed into the river, killing off aquatic wildlife. But a $1.5 billion mega-engineering project — key to Paris winning its 2024 Summer Olympic Games bid — has made the river safe for swimming. Wildlife benefits from a more pristine river, too.
Adepitan tracks down bats feeding on insects that start life in the water and joins local anglers to catch a giant Wels catfish, a good indication of a healthy river. Following World War II, only three fish species were left in the Seine; today, there are more than 40.
Watch On Your Schedule: CHANGING PLANET "River Restoration" will be available to stream with the PBS app. Watch the best of PBS anytime, anywhere on the free PBS app. Stream your favorite PBS shows on-demand and livestream shows from your local station, all from your favorite device.
