The imminent removal of four dams along the Klamath River represents a unique opportunity to study the impacts of large-scale dam removal on river ecology. To establish an invaluable genetic baseline, the study team (Genidaqs, RES) collected and preserved over 400 DNA and RNA samples from locations across the Klamath River before dam removal.

Native salmonids (Rainbow/steelhead trout, Bull Trout, Dolly Varden) populations in the upper Skagit River have a complex evolutionary past shaped by geology, hydrology, and human actions. In our latest research study funded by City Light, we’re using genomic tools to unravel the phylogenetic biogeography of Rainbow and Bull Trout in the upper Skagit River basin.