What is the Elwha River restoration project?
The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration Project is a 21st-century project of the U.S. National Park Service to remove two dams on the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, and restore the river to a natural state. Removal of the second dam, the Glines Canyon Dam, was completed on August 26, 2014.
How does removing the dam help restore the Elwha River ecosystem?
Dam removal is freeing the Elwha River, allowing all five species of Pacific salmon to return to over 70 miles of habitat. Salmon populations will grow from 3,000 to nearly 400,000.
What happened when the dams on the Elwha River were removed?
However, construction of the dams blocked the migration of salmon upstream, disrupted the flow of sediment downstream, and flooded the historic homelands and cultural sites of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.
Was the Elwha dam removal successful?
Salmon Recovery. By most accounts the dam removal and river restoration on the Elwha has been a success, or it’s headed that way. It’s still too early to tell how large the rebound will be for salmon populations, and scientists will spend years studying the long-term impacts. But initial results are encouraging.
What did the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Act of 1992 do?
Passed House amended (10/06/1992) Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act – Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the Elwha River and Glines Canyon Hydroelectric Projects in Clallam County, Washington.
What resulted from the Elwha dam removal project?
Other recent USGS-led publications on the impacts of Elwha dam removal include “Coastal habitat and biological community response to dam removal on the Elwha River,” and “Increased sediment load during a large-scale dam removal changes nearshore subtidal communities.” For more information on USGS Elwha River research.
What is the reason for removing the Elwha River dam quizlet?
For over a century, the web of ecological and cultural connections in the Elwha Valley were broken – then the river’s story changed course. In 1992, Congress passed the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act, authorizing dam removal to restore the altered ecosystem.
What resulted from the Elwha Dam removal project?
What are the problems with dam removal?
Short term impacts of the dam removal itself can include increased water turbidity and sediment buildup downstream from releasing large amounts of sediment from the reservoir, and water quality impacts from sudden releases of water and changes in temperature.
When was the Elwha River dam removed?
2011
Starting in 2011, the National Park Service removed two obsolete dams from the Elwha River in Olympic National Park, Washington. It was the world’s largest dam-removal project.
How has the Elwha River changed?
Over the next five years, water carrying newly freed rocks, sand, silt and old tree trunks reshaped more than 13 miles of river and built a larger delta into the Pacific Ocean. Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Computer animation showing changes at the mouth of the Elwha River from 2011 through 2016.
Where is the Elwha River located?
Olympic Peninsula
The Elwha River is a 45-mile (72 km) river on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. From its source at Elwha snowfinger in the Olympic Mountains, it flows generally north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEBtFyUdcYE