In the remote Klamath Mountains of Northern California, Western Rivers Conservancy and the Bureau of Land Management conserved a vital property along a half mile of the Trinity River, downstream of Junction City. The acquisition ushers in a critical next phase of a multi-decade restoration project aimed at reviving one of the great salmon and steelhead streams of California.
The Trinity River drains more than 3,000 square miles of steep, rugged, densely forested mountains that are home to some of the greatest biological diversity on Earth. It is the largest tributary to the Klamath River and historically produced more salmon, steelhead and cold water than any other river in the Klamath system.
But the Trinity was put through the wringer for over a century, first by gold mining and logging and later by two hydroelectric projects that diverted nearly all the Trinity’s water to California’s Central Valley. Today, the great salmon and steelhead runs of the Klamath’s largest artery are a fraction of their historic numbers.
Despite these challenges, the Trinity remains one of the West’s most important steelhead rivers. It has also long been a premier whitewater destination, and over 200 miles of the mainstem, North Fork and South Fork have been designated Wild and Scenic. Given the caliber of this river, in 2000, the Department of the Interior signed off on a massive interagency, inter-tribal restoration project to restore the anadromous fish runs of the Trinity. That effort has been underway for over two decades, and recently, a major component of the project hinged on getting a single property called Benjamin Flats into public hands.
WRC worked for two years to get Benjamin Flats into BLM hands and successfully facilitated the agency’s purchase of the property in November 2024. A half mile of the Trinity is now permanently conserved for the fish and wildlife that depend on it. Stream restoration is already underway, and the BLM is exploring the best way to blend restoration and public access along this important stretch of the Wild and Scenic Trinity River.
