Title:Breeching the Elwha River Dams

Author: Robbie Andrus

Abstract:

With the passing of the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Protection Act in 1992, the effort to remove the dams on the Elwha River, on the Olympic Peninsula, WA, is at the forefront of dam removal restoration. In 2008, the two Elwha River dams are scheduled to be breeched, which will remove barriers to fish migration and restore a natural discharge rate to the river. This will allow anadromous fish to reach the pristine spawning grounds upstream from the dams in the Olympic National Park. Within 30 years of dam removal, more than a 1000 acres of wildlife habitat will reopen and restoration efforts will allow an estimated 390,000 fish to return to the Elwha River. Increased salmon production will help resolve the fishing rights that the Elwha Klallam tribe lost when the Elwha dam was built in 1912. Though the cost and time required for dam removal and restoration of the ecosystem is significant, the long-term environmental benefits are great

Key References:

Grossman, E. (2002). Watershed: The Undamming of America. Washington: The Olympic Peninsula and the Elwha River Dams(153-166). New York: Counterpoint.

Wunderlich, R.C., Winter, B.D., Meyer, J.H (1994). Restoration of the Elwha River Ecosytem. Fisheries, 19(8), 11-19.

U.S. Geological Survey. (2006) Discharge Rate Sample Data. USGS, United States. Retreived Feb 28, 2006: http://water.usgs.gov/

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Date: May 2006
Student: randrus*@willamette.edu
ENVR 327: Water Resources
Instructor: Dr. Karen Arabas
http://www.willamette.edu/~karabas/courses/envr327w