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Tumbling from mountain glaciers of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, passing miles of unspoiled wilderness, and spilling in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Elwha River embodies an intriguing story of people and their quest for change. Today, this river, running through the largest watershed in Olympic National Park, is about to make history.
In the early 1900’s the Elwha and Glines Canyon hydroelectric dams were erected, completely blocking native salmon and steelhead from most of their 70 miles of pristine spawning habitat. Over the years, these dams have severely reduced historically substantial runs, diminished the functions of the natural ecosystem and dramatically altered the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe’s way of life.
With the 1992 signing of the Elwha Act, (PL 102-495), the United States Congress directed the Secretary of the
Interior to “fully restore the Elwha River ecosystem and anadromous fisheries”. (Anadromous fish species migrate from fresh water to salt water and back to fresh water to reproduce). After lengthy legal proceedings and a number of environmental impact studies, it was decided that removal of both the Elwha and the Glines Canyon dams was the most effective and economical means of restoring the salmon and steelhead runs.
Taking down the 210-foot arch of Glines dam and the 105-foot tall Elwha dam constitutes the largest dam removal project in history. Subsequent restoration will involve intensive monitoring and environmental analysis for years to come. The two and a half year dam removal effort is slated to begin in 2009.
As students and educators, this project offers you an opportunity to follow the unprecedented journey of a river and its restoration, whether your interest is in history, science, civics, cultural studies, or the many other fascinating subjects woven in this project, there is a story for you.
To read the background on this project, visit Olympic National Park’s Elwha River web pages: www.nps.gov/olym/elwha/home.htm
To get involved in a hands-on educational program, visit Olympic Park Institute’s Elwha River website: www.elwhascienceed.org
To visualize the changes which are predicted to occur, visit the American River’s Elwha River web pages:
www.americanrivers.org
To read more about the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and see a map of their historic villages around the Elwha River, visit the tribe’s website: www.elwha.org
