The Elwha River: A Case Study in Success

America’s largest current dam removal project has lessons for restoring a free-flowing Snake River

Beginning in 2011, our nation will begin its biggest dam removal project yet. Two large dams on Washington State’s Olympic peninsula have blocked a river and destroyed a once thriving fishery that included chinook salmon in excess of 100 pounds.

A free-flowing Elwha river will re-connect wild salmon and steelhead with more than 70 miles of ancestral habitat – much of it in the pristine lands of the Olympic National Park. In doing so, it will restore healthy fisheries, create long-term jobs, and increase tourism and outdoor recreation opportunities.

In 2011, Save Our Wild Salmon in conjunction with Working Snake River for Washington will explore this ground-breaking project from various perspectives – ecological, economic, political – in order to learn lessons for success as we work toward our next big dam removal on the lower Snake River in eastern Washington.

See below for the latest news on this important project.

November 16th, 2010

Working Snake River Blog: Upcoming Elwha River Dam Removal = more salmon, more jobs, more food, and lessons for the future