We Must Protect Our Waters
To Paddle Our Waters
Mission:
to strengthen our connections with our lands and waters, navigate our waterways, educate and build community, and reclaim our foods, forests, lands, waters, and traditions.
Maqlaqs Paddle Goals
to navigate: Revival of relationship to place: to lands, waters, foods, and other elements related to our reciprocal relationship to place as Maklaks people.
to protect: Revival of the reciprocal relationship between place and people: strengthening efforts that mobilize the protection and defense of our people and homelands.
to restore: Revival of place: work towards the good health of our homelands, waters, and animals.
to remain: Revival of nalamtoks: support the survival of our identities; work towards the healing and thriving existence our grandmas envisioned.
Our 2025 plans…
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Maqlaqs Paddle will support Maklaks peoples in revitalizing the relationship of our rivers from our mountains to our lakes. We will start by foot at the headwaters of the Wood, Williamson, and Sprague and paddle for as much of our waters' journey to our lakes as we can navigate.
We will support a few of our tribal people in expeditionary-style navigation and access to our lands. We will also help all introductory paddles our people are interested in for 3- 6 hour sessions on the water at a time. We aim to breathe life back into our lands, waters, and identities again.
If you are a Klamath Modoc yahooskin person who wants to get out on our waterways, please contact us! We have the gear, time, and energy to get our people out on our lands and waters.
Expeditionary-Style Navigation:Williamson River: 100 miles
Sprague River: 75 miles (Sycan River: 75 miles)
Wood River: 18 miles
Upper Klamath Lake: 95 miles (shoreline)
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Maqlaqs Paddle will continuously work towards supporting Maklaks Campaigns, where we will bring attention to issues impacting our waterways and actively speak for the protection and restoration of our Klamath Modoc places. Current Maklaks Campaigns include (1) GTN Pipeline Expansion, (2) Swan Lake Pumped Hydro Project, (3) Cwaam & Koptu Extinction Prevention, (4) Any other direct impacts that are impairing our waterways, lands, and ability to connect, protect, and remain in our places. -
In collaboration with other Klamath Modoc peoples, Maqlaqs Paddle will support the restoration of our traditional E'wla'loon'a Fishing Village, reviving our village between the lakes. Our effort is a multi-stage restoration of the dormant fishing village along the Klamath Falls of the Link River; with years of work ahead of us, our vision is to;
Establish trails and maintain established access
Affirm fishing and access for Tribal Members and Descendants
Develop a functional fishing village and park
Restore riverscape
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"to arrive in a canoe between the mountains (Fort Klamath)."
During the Summer of 2025, Maqlaqs Paddle plans to lead the reconstruction of a traditional dugout canoe on the traditional lands of the Ewiksiknii Maklaks, specifically at the current Maqlaqs Paddle worksite, on the Wood River in Fort Klamath, Oregon. This goal will not be possible without the direction of our Maklaks elders and people willing to work to return to our waters and our traditional relationship with our watercraft once more. If you are interested in being involved in the planning and execution of this vision, please do not hesitate to reach out!
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In July of 2022, Maqlaqs Paddle, with the support of Ríos to Rivers, World Class Kayak Academy, and Otter Bar Kayak School, conducted a two-and-a-half-week kayak and river advocacy training program for 15 indigenous youth from the Klamath Basin.
The program has grown and will launch our third indigenous Klamath Basin youth training cohort this July 2024.
Our collaborative program will have 30+ tribal youth preparing for a first descent down the Klamath River in July 2025.
Learn more about our Paddle Tribal Waters Program through these few clips prepared by River Roots to share the story of our river and youth:
PTW (First Film)
https://vimeo.com/765532571?share=copy
Deschutes River Paddle Tribal Waters (Second Film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axVZn78nwm8
Flowing Forward (Third Film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diOgYC0y-zM&t=7s
Bring The Salmon Home (Fourth Film)
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Maqlaqs Paddle, along with Ríos to Rivers, Water Climate Trust, Water League, and Maqlaqs Geetkni, founded the Oregon Water Justice Alliance in collaboration to work towards promoting healthy instream flows and stable groundwater levels for ecosystems and essential human needs.
Primary goals are improving public water funding, providing solidarity and support for water justice advocates, issues, and campaigns, and advancing, improving, and implementing state and federal water allocation policies.
Get on the water with us:
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Wood River: 2.5 miles
Start at the headwaters of the Wood River (Kimball Park) and paddle 2.5 miles toward Fort Klamath to eat lunch. This paddle takes about 2-3 hours, depending on the paddler's experience—very beginner-level friendly start to on-water navigation. There are no rapids or waterfalls; the only obstacles will be floating debris, hanging tree branches, and one levy bridge.
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Sprague River: 3 miles
Start at Braymill on the Sprague River and paddle to the confluence of the Williamson Sprague River on the outskirts of Chiloquin. Our take-out is at the public boat ramp right after the confluence of our rivers. This paddle takes about 2-3 hours, depending on the paddler's experience—very beginner-level friendly start to on-water navigation. There are a few class one rapid riffles; the only obstacles will be some rocks.
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Link River: 2 miles
Start directly after "The Falls" at the Link River Dam in Klamath Falls, and take out right before Lake Ewuana. This paddle takes about 20 minutes- 1 hour, depending on the paddler's experience. It is a more beginner-intermediate level paddle, with two class 2-3 rapids (depending on the water level) at the beginning of the paddle. If you know how to kayak, this will be an enjoyable whitewater paddle in our Klamath Falls backyard. If you do not know how to kayak, we have taken beginners down this for their first paddle; you just need the courage to paddle! If you are an experienced paddler, we can also run the first rapid on the river, "The Falls," which can be a class four rapid during certain water levels—a very fun and exciting paddle.
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Buck Island: 3-5 miles
Start near the Upper Klamath Lake outlet and paddle out to Buck Island to enjoy lunch. This paddle takes about 3-5 hours, depending on the paddler's experience. It is a beginner-level friendly start to on-water navigation, with the expectation that on-lake tidal wave paddling differs from swift river current paddling. If you understand the basics of paddling, it can take at least one hour to go to the island, with another hour to paddle back to land; it just depends on the paddler's energy level.
Info About Our Day Paddles:
In addition to on-water paddle time and transportation to put in and take out, plan for one hour of getting fitted into gear and learning the basics of our watercraft and safety expectations.
All Klamath Modoc Yahooskin people interested in paddling with us do not have to pay any fee or expense or come with their own gear. Our outings are free of cost to all our people, and you will be provided a meal or snack depending on the duration of our trip. Do not worry—we got you!
If you are a non-tribal member interested in our tours, please fill out our Contact Us form!
Overview of the Largest Dam Removal in History
