Elwha River Restoration
The Elwha River Restoration is a National Park Service project that began in midSeptember 2011. The project, the largest dam-removal project in history, entailed tearing down the 108-foot Elwha Dam and the 210-foot Glines Canyon Dam and restoration of the Elwha River watershed. The removal of both dams was completed in August 2014. The ongoing restoration work has allowed the Elwha River to flow through its native channel for the first time in more than 100 years and will allow salmon to migrate upstream to spawn in the nutrient-rich habitat. In September 2014, the first reported sighting of chinook in the Upper Elwha River above the Glines Canyon Dam site in 102 years was confirmed. Much of the fine sediment that built up in the dams’ reservoirs, the former Lake Aldwell and Lake Mills, was released by the removal process and has changed the shape of the river and caused changes in the habitat at the mouth of the river and in Freshwater Bay. There is a link to a series of webisodes on the National Park Service Elwha River Restoration page that chronicle the removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams. The videos begin with the history of the dams Mouth of Elwha River and continue through their deconstruction and restoration of the ecosystem. Visit the National Park Service site at www.nps.gov Elwha Dam site. The parking area is off In 1992, Congress passed the Elwha and search for “Elwha River Restoration.” Lower Dam Road via state Highway 112. River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration o At the Elwha River Viewpoint, one can Act, which called for full restoration of the Dam removal history observe the changing landscape where the ecosystem and fisheries. During the early 1900s, Port Angeles river flows through the site of the former An environmental impact statement entrepreneur Thomas Aldwell sought to Lake Aldwell reservoir. A turnoff is found concluded that removal of both dams was harness the energy of the Elwha River and off Highway 101 just west of Port Angeles. the only way to achieve restoration. spearheaded construction of the hydroeleco Due to the closure of Olympic Hot tric Elwha Dam, which was completed in View the ever-changing river Springs Road, the Glines Canyon overlook 1913. o At the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal is inaccessible to vehicles from Whiskey The growing economy soon led to the Center, located off Lower Elwha Road, walk Bend Road. decision to build a second dam — Glines the 0.7-mile Warrior Path loop to the For the intrepid hiker, Whiskey Bend Road Canyon Dam, completed in 1927. Elwha River estuary. is open to foot traffic. At the top, the Glines The two dams blocked much of the Cross the double-deck Elwha River Road Canyon overlook allows visitors to see the 70-mile Elwha River, which had one of the Bridge to get a bird’s-eye view of the river. Elwha River running free through the most productive salmon runs in the Pacific Take U.S. Highway 101 to Laird Road and canyon and the bed of the former Lake Mills. Northwest. Spawning runs were reduced turn onto Elwha River Road. A 0.3-mile trail built by the Elwha from 400,000 fish before the dams were o The Elwha Dam Viewpoint features a revegetation crew leads from the parking completed to only 3,000. short trail to an overlook at the former area to the lakebed. SPRING/SUMMER 2016 F NORTH OLYMPIC PENINSULA GUIDE 31