Elwha Watershed Information Resource

Upper Elwha River. National Park Service

Construction of two dams on the Elwha River (Elwha Dam in 1913 and Glines Canyon Dam in 1927) blocked fish passage and prevented anadromous fish from accessing 130 kilometers of main-stem and tributary habitat (NPS 1995). Historically, the Elwha River had 10 runs of native anadramous salmon and trout, including coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch), sockeye (O. nerka), pink (O. gorbuscha), chum (O. keta), steelhead (O. mykiss) and Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha). Today, salmon and steelhead only have access to the 8 kilometers (5 miles) of habitat below Elwha Dam and these diminished stocks are primarily maintained through hatchery production.

Full restoration of the Elwha River ecosystem and its native anadromous fisheries was mandated by Congress in 1992 through the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act (Public Law 102-495) (NPS 1995). The Final Environmental Impact Statement prepared by the National Park Service, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Lower Elwha S'Klallam Tribe found removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams as the best alternative action to restore the river's ecosystem and its native anadromous fish runs. Dam removal is scheduled to begin in 2012, and managers and scientists are working together to gather critical information about the Elwha ecosystem before, during, and after dam removal.

Learn more about the Elwha River watershed by clicking on the links below:

Dam Removal. Understand the history of the dams and the process currently underway for removing the dams.

River Restoration. A key component in managing resources within the watershed, the Elwha Restoration Project involves numerous stakeholders.

Nearshore. Home to numerous species, the nearshore habitat is a critical piece of the Elwha River watershed.