Fishing has always been a major source of food for the Tribe, although restrictions on tribal fishing rights during the first part of the 1900s severely limited the Tribe’s access to fish. The landmark 1974 Boldt decision reaffirmed tribal fishing rights, and the tribe was able to fish freely once again without fear of arrest. However, the hydroelectric dams on the Elwha River still limit tribal fishing because they stop salmon from traveling upriver. To help supplement the fish in the few miles of river below the Elwha Dam, the Tribe built the Elwha Fish Hatchery in 1975.
(Content under development by Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe)