User:Necronater1/Iron Gate Dam (California)

Iron Gate Reservoir
Iron Gate Reservoir is an artificial lake on the Klamath River in Siskiyou County, California, near the Oregon border of the United States. The lake's waters are impounded by the Iron Gate Dam (National ID CN 001223), a hydroelectric dam opened in 1964, and operated by PacifiCorp. It has an average depth of 70 feet (21.4 m).

The California–Oregon Power Company (COPCO), which later merged with Pacific Power, a future subsidiary of PacifiCorp, built Iron Gate Dam in the mid 1960s as part of the multi-dam Klamath River Hydroelectric Project. The Iron Gate Dam is one of four dams in the Klamath River Hydroelectric Project which have been proposed for removal. As of February 2016, the states of Oregon and California, the dam owners, federal regulators and other parties reached an agreement to remove all four dams by the year 2020, pending approval by the FERC. The plan was delayed in 2020 due to conditions placed on the project by FERC. As of February 25, 2022, the FERC released their final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the dam's removal. The Iron Gate Dam is expected to be removed sometime in 2023 or 2024. The social movement to Un-Dam the Klamath has been ongoing for 20 years.

In 2020, the state released a danger warning about harmful blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms. These blooms are toxic to humans and animals so announcements were made warning against swimming in the reservoir and eating of any fish from the reservoir. There have been reports in the past, but no warnings have been made since. These algal bloom growth likely occurred due to lower water levels and higher temperatures of the water.

The Iron Gate Reservoir is host to several recreation activities. There are several campsites on the Western side of the reservoir, such as Mirror Cove, Juniper Point, and Camp Creek. Each site has a launch point, allowing for boating, kayaking, and swimming on the reservoir. The reservoir contains yellow perch, trout, largemouth bass, catfish, and native rainbow trout, which makes it a popular fishing location.

= Copco Lake/Copco 1 n 2; Un-Dam the Klamath; John C. Boyle Reservoir/Dam = As of February 25, 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released their final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the dam's removal. The dam is expected to be removed sometime in 2023 or 2024.