Elwha River Dam Removal and Restoration
"For over a century, the web of ecological and cultural connections in the Elwha Valley were broken -then the river's story changed course. In 1992, Congress passed the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act, authorizing dam removal to restore the altered ecosystem and the native anadromous fisheries therein. After two decades of planning, the largest dam removal in U.S. history began on September 17, 2011. Six months later the Elwha Dam was gone, followed by the Glines Canyon Dam in 2014. Today, the Elwha River once again flows freely from its headwaters in the Olympic Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca."
-National Parks Service
Noable Dam Removal Projects in Oregon
| Klamath River Restoration Project | Lower Snake River Dam Removals |
|---|---|
| J.C. Boyle Dam | Lower Granite Dam |
| Copco No.1 Dam | Little Goose Dam |
| Copco No. 2 Dam | Lower Monumental Dam |
| Iron Gate Dam | Ice Harbor Dam |
| Dam removals are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024. | This project is still in its planning stages as congress discusses what actions are to be taken. |
A brief history of America's relationship with dams.
My personal experiences with dams and restoration projects.
I have first hand experience working in watersheds and on rivers that have seen negative effects of dams. The Provo River is an example of restoration that can occur without the immediate removal of dams, while the San Juan and Colorado Rivers show us the negative impacts of damming one of the largest and most historic waterways in the west. A unique experience I had was assisting with flood relief in Iowa along the Missouri River, the particular area I was in had been inundated with water for three weeks because of dams placed above and below them on the river. Click here to learn more!