PBS’s Changing Planet series is back for a fourth year, this time focusing on river restoration. The special, Changing Planet: River Restoration, premieres on April 23 at 10-11 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org, the PBS app, and the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel. It will show the positive effect of dam removal.
Here’s the Lowdown: Dr. M. Sanjayan revisits Northern California’s Klamath River, the site of the largest dam removal project in US history. The Klamath, once home to a huge salmon run, was severely impacted by hydroelectric dams built in the early 1900s. These dams blocked salmon migration, disrupted nutrient flow, and created conditions for toxic algae.
What This Means Now: After decades of campaigning, the dams were finally dismantled in 2024. Sanjayan witnesses the explosive demolition of one dam and joins the Yurok tribe, who have long advocated for the river’s restoration, in assessing salmon populations and replanting native vegetation. Salmon have returned to the river for the first time in a century.
The Bigger Picture: The program shows not just the direct benefits for fish, but also the wider ecological impact. Sanjayan visits a site where California Condors, who once fed on salmon, are being reintroduced. The special also features journalist and Paralympian Ade Adepitan investigating the cleanup of the Seine in Paris. A $1.5 billion project, tied to Paris’s 2024 Olympic bid, has made the river safe for swimming after over 100 years of pollution, allowing more than 40 fish species to return.
