The largest dam removal project in U.S. history has been completed near the California-Oregon border. The move Wednesday marks a major victory for tribes in the region who fought for decades to free hundreds of miles of the Klamath River. Power company PacifiCorp built the dams to generate electricity between 1918 and 1962. But the structures halted the natural flow of the waterway that was once known as the third-largest salmon-producing river on the West Coast. At the same time, the dams only produced a fraction of PacifiCorp’s energy at full capacity — enough to power about 70,000 homes. They also didn’t provide irrigation, drinking water or flood control, according to Klamath River Renewal Corporation. Through protests, testimony and lawsuits, local tribes showcased the environmental devastation due to the four towering dams, especially to salmon, which are culturally and spiritually significant to tribes in the region. The dams cut salmon off from their historic habitat and caused them to die in alarming numbers because of bad water-quality conditions. Since removing the dams, experts say fish regained access to their habitat, water temperature decreased and its quality improved. But tribal advocates and activists see their work as far from finished, with some already refocusing their efforts on restoration.