Changemaker
Barry McCovey Jr.
TL;DR
Barry McCovey Jr. directs Yurok Tribal Fisheries, the department doing the science behind the restoration of the Klamath River and the salmon runs that depend on it.
Barry McCovey Jr. is director of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department. He is a biologist and a fisherman, and his department provides the scientific and technical work behind the Tribe’s effort to restore the Klamath River, where the United States Geological Survey recorded the removal of the last of four dams in August 2024 as the largest dam removal in United States history. On the removal of four dams from the Klamath and Trinity rivers he has said he is confident that salmon stocks can be rebuilt through dam removal, habitat restoration and proper water management, to a level that would support tribal, ocean commercial and recreational fisheries.
Barry McCovey Jr. is a biologist and fisherman who directs the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department, the department doing the science behind the restoration of the Klamath River.
Why OGSP Recommends It
As director of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department, Barry McCovey Jr leads research on water temperature, salmon migration, green sturgeon and disease in the Klamath River. His work helps measure how removing four dams may improve salmon and steelhead populations over time. For Barry, that recovery is personal: he wants his children to experience a healthy river and the ecosystem it supports.
Related Resources
Key Takeaways
- His department’s work includes water temperature monitoring, salmon migration behavior, green sturgeon biotelemetry and disease monitoring in the Klamath River.
- He has stated publicly that salmon and steelhead numbers will gradually improve on the Trinity and Klamath rivers once the four dams are gone.
- The film’s own site describes him as committed to making sure his children experience a restored ecosystem.
- The Yurok Tribe’s own announcement of a Giants Rising screening lists his title as director of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department do?
It provides scientific and technical support to the Yurok Tribe’s work to restore the Klamath River and its migrating fish, including water temperature monitoring, migration studies and disease monitoring.
What has Barry McCovey Jr. said about the Klamath dam removals?
That salmon and steelhead numbers will gradually improve on the Trinity and Klamath rivers once the four dams are removed.
Is Barry McCovey Jr. a biologist?
Yes. The film’s own site describes him as a biologist and a fisherman as well as the department’s director.
Is Barry McCovey Jr. in Giants Rising?
Yes. The film’s own site lists him as director of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department.