Klamath River Renewal Project: Molecular Library brief
The Klamath River Renewal Project Molecular Library Briefing Paper details the efforts to create a “genetic time capsule” using environmental DNA (eDNA) and RNA (eRNA) to monitor ecological changes before and after the removal of four dams along the Klamath River in California and Oregon. This baseline data was collected by Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) and Genidaqs and includes over 400 water samples from various river sites, preserved to facilitate long-term studies.
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The project aims to document shifts in species distribution, community composition, and population dynamics across 114 kilometers of river habitat. The genetic data can be used to monitor the re-establishment of migratory fish and other native species as river habitats are restored. The methodology includes a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) design, with control sites both within and outside the watershed. This collected dataset provides a foundational resource for future research and ecological assessments, supporting sustainable habitat restoration and conservation strategies across the Klamath Basin.
Executive Summary
The removal of the four dams along the Klamath River represents an opportunity to evaluate restoration effectiveness at scale and environmental DNA (eDNA) has been shown to an effective tool for monitoring the distribution of aquatic species following large-scale dam removals. Prior to dam removal, Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) and Genidaqs (GIQ) staff collected, filtered, and preserved the genetic material within over 400 water samples from 45 mainstem and tributary monitoring locations, across 114 river kilometers in California and Oregon. These monitoring locations were selected across the Klamath River Renewal Project (KRRP; also known as the Lower Klamath Project) to include sites with a range of characteristics as well as control sites both in and out of the impacted watersheds for a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) monitoring design. All samples were stabilized following protocols for the long-term storage and viability of both eDNA and environmental RNA (eRNA), were collected with sufficient replicates to run 200 individual analyses per site and are suitable for analyses including: detection of rare or cryptic species, distribution and relative abundance of aquatic organisms, community composition of aquatic organisms through eDNA metabarcoding, and subsequent population demography inference through eRNA analysis. The spatial and temporal configuration, as well as the relative long-term stability of this baseline data makes this first year of the KRRP Molecular Library an invaluable genetic time capsule and resource for future studies. This dataset was collected independent of the restoration effectiveness monitoring responsibilities defined for the project and the completion of the capture and preservation of the irreplaceable baseline data is awaiting future opportunities and partnerships for analysis.
This Brief was co-authored by Dylan J. Keel (RES), Daniel Chase (RES) | Greggory Schumer (Cramer Fish Sciences-Genidaqs), and Scott M. Blankenship (Cramer Fish Sciences-Genidaqs).
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