Celebrating the Elwha, and our New Dam Removal Map

July 1, 2010 | Dams & Dam Removal, Restoring Rivers

Amy Souers Kober
Senior Director of Communications

The Olympic Peninsula may be nationally famous now because of vampires (the popular Twilight series is set in Forks, WA), but just wait until next year. In 2011 all eyes will be on this wet corner of the Pacific Northwest for a whole different reason. That’s because two dams on the Elwha River are going to be torn down.

If you visit the peninsula this summer, don’t be surprised if you see signs, buttons and posters declaring this the “Last Dam Summer.”  Olympic National Park, American Rivers, and others are celebrating the countdown to the removal of these old, outdated dams and the restoration of one of the region’s most important rivers.

Because most of the Elwha flows within the park and is protected, removing the dams will allow the river to be wild again. It will be a laboratory to study how a river comes back to life – from the tiniest insects to riverbank vegetation to the elk and eagles and orca whales. It’s the salmon that link it all together, mountains to sea, and by removing these dams we’ll open up 75 miles of historic habitat.

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will finally, after 100 years,  have access to cultural sites now inundated under the reservoirs, and cultural traditions will be renewed.

The Elwha isn’t the only river on the brink of big change. 2011 is going to be the year of river restoration. From Maine’s Penobscot to Maryland’s Patapsco to Washington’s White Salmon, American Rivers is leading efforts to restore the health of our rivers and communities.

We have played a role in many of the 500 dam removals that have occurred over the past ten years. Is one of these river restoration efforts in your community? Check out our interactive dam removal map and find out!

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