Return to the River

Return to the River is a Yurok Tribe-led planning project co-created with the community and the landscape architect. The first client is the river and the design both invites people back to the river and extends the healthy ecology to the townsite. Today the townsite is bisected by Highway 101, making it difficult and dangerous to move from main street to the river without a car. Informed by extensive community collaboration and centering pre-colonial ecology, the design celebrates Yurok culture, addresses the needs of current and future generations, and provides safer access across the highway to the river. Repairing access to the river honors the sacred place it holds in Yurok culture and connects people to the natural world.

Location: Lands of the Yurok Tribe, Klamath, CA
Client: Yurok Tribe Dept of Planning and Community Development
Project Size: ~200 acres
Status: April 2023 - ongoing
Role: Landscape Architect
Collaboration: Caltrans