Nature's Return: The Elwha Dam Removal

The Elwha Dam Removal began in 2011. The Elwha River will run free for the first time in 100 years. Elwha River salmon will once again return to their ancestral home.

The Elwha River dam removal is the first step in the overall restoration of the Elwha River watershed. For a century, the Elwha’s main lifeline - it’s salmon - were denied entry to the place they once called home. Those salmon are a keystone species for the Elwha, recycling vital nutrients from the ocean all throughout its watershed and supporting an incredible diversity of life. With the Elwha dam removal, the ecosystem can once again flourish.

But the Elwha River restoration is important from more than just an ecological perspective. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe have relied on the Elwha River for thousands of years, but suffered immensely when the dams were built. They will once again have access to their ancestral home.

The Elwha River dam removal also represents a change in mindset. The utilitarian conservation ideals of Hetch Hetchy, along with a multitude of big Western dams, represent a view of our natural resources which is now beginning to change. More viewpoints are being heard and more interests are being served - and the Elwha dam removal embodies that shift. With the restoration, nature will once again take hold in the Elwha. Enjoy.

You can check out my Hetch Hetchy video here:    • How San Francisco Stole Hetch Hetchy   and my Glen Canyon video here:    • The Real Reason Glen Canyon Dam Was B...  

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