Dam Removal Featured on NBC Nightly News

November 16, 2009 | Dams & Dam Removal, Restoring Rivers

Caitlin Jennings
Communications Associate

Our national leadership on dam removal was highlighted last night during a segment on NBC Nightly News.

Earlier this fall, Andrew Fahlund, our Vice President of Conservation, took an NBC Nightly News crew to Washington’s Elwha River so they could see (and film) our efforts to remove dams and restore salmon on this special Northwest river.

American Rivers has worked for years to remove the two dams on the Elwha River.  At 210 feet high, when Glines Canyon dams is removed, it will be the tallest dam ever removed in this country.  We were instrumental in securing $54 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to remove the dams -- a project that will create jobs and deliver an economic boost to the area. Dam removal will also open up 70 miles of pristine salmon habitat in Olympic National Park, and revive the entire web of life from mountains to sea.  The segment also featured a dam removal success story on Oregon's Sandy River --a project American Rivers helped spearhead.

The piece that aired last night did a great job of demonstrating the importance of restoring rivers.  The visual of the Sandy River from dammed to free-flowing was dramatic, as was the graphic showing that the number of salmon in the Elwha is expected to increase by 130 fold in ten years.

We're thrilled with the national attention this story brings to this critical issue.

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