The Scott and Shasta Rivers are two of the Klamath Basin's most important salmon strongholds. As flows trickle below minimum standards in the Scott and salmon populations decline below depensation thresholds in the Shasta, the North Coast Water Board is considering another five-year extension of a temporary water-quality program.

The Scott and Shasta Rivers remain at the center of some of California’s most important salmon recovery and water management decisions. As the first full summer following the Klamath dam removal, 2026 is providing both encouraging signs and significant challenges.