Elwha River Dam Removal and Restoration

Elwha River 10 Years Later

The Elwha River Delta before and after the dams were removed.
An overlook built at the site of the Glines Canyon Dam, made of its materials, looks out at a restored Elwha River. Credit: Doug MacDonald/Seattle Times

The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams on the Elwha River has not only resulted in astounding changes to the environment, it has also provided great opportunities for scientists to better understand how the ecosystem functions. Researchers have studied delta erosion and development and how fish, mammals, invertebrates, and birds respond to a return to more natural processes. And, in new data, they are seeing what can happen with the removal of shoreline armoring. “It's like watching a highlight reel, sped up,” says Jamie Michel, a nearshore biologist with the Coastal Watershed Institute.

The Glines Canyon dam being removed by an excavator.
The healthy mouth of the Elwha River taken in fall of 2016. Credit: Dave Parks and CWI

"Tribe to fish for salmon on Elwha River a decade after dams fell"
-by Isabella Breda. Seattle Times staff reporter.

"Nearly a decade after the last Elwha River dam came down, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe could see its first fishery on the river in years.
The tribe, Olympic National Park and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Monday that the tribal ceremonial and subsistence fishery for coho salmon on the Elwha will open this fall...".
The full article can be found here!